Phoenix' Luck
by AcidSerra
Summary: Sam Potter has had a run of bad luck at least as long as her life, however a chance meeting with Jean Grey ends in a bond that will shatter worlds... Starting with hers. !FemHarry/Jean Lemons Adopted from whitetigerworlf formerly 'Domino's Daughter'
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own neither the Harry Potter brand and property nor the X-Men/X-Men Evolution brand and properties. This work is done without intention of remuneration, for my personal edification as a writer and the entertainment of my readers.

**Foreward:** This story contains scenes of a sexual nature. If I go through the trouble of writing a full sex scene it is because it is necessary to either the plot or the characters involved. Should you object to reading sex scenes then I suggest you stop reading now.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Jean Grey shook her head softly as she gazed at the buildings that surrounded her. Even in the city proper there were still so many signs of the history that had carved itself upon the city. Not the least of which was the winding roadways.

The susurrus of surface thoughts hovered at the edge of her attention but for now her own mind was focused on the trouble brewing back home. She'd been willfully blind to the situation with Duncan. As soon as she'd let herself hear them there were more than a few people whose surface thoughts gave away what an asshole he was. Most of those people hadn't been bitter like she'd always comforted herself, but rather concerned for her.

To put it simply Duncan hadn't been the only one being an ass and she knew it. It had just been so much easier to pretend. To pretend to be blind to Scott's affections, to pretend not to see Duncan's horrible character. As soon as this trip ended she'd be stuck, and the blind act wouldn't last. The revelation of their powers was not making any of it any easier.

A sudden shift in thoughts caught her attention. The mind in question was a bartender's. He was attempting to rationalize to himself why he had just served a teenage girl hard liquor. It had the feel of a mind that had been clumsily tampered with.

Jean quickly found the mind of the girl that was probably responsible. It wasn't exactly hard. Once she cut through the immense grief and bitterness that the girl wore as a shield she was practically screaming her thoughts.

'Not old enough to drink but old enough to fight a basilisk! Don't worry, old bastard says, be a kid, old bastard says… What about Sirius!? If I'd been faster… If I'd just known… Fucking bastards all of them.' There were parts of the monologue that she couldn't really make sense of. The girl's frame of reference was just too foreign for her to understand the references. Still she more or less got the gist of it.

With a sigh she ducked into the bar. Chances were the girl was a mutant and if she just left her alone with a latent mind control gift things could get messy. It was easy enough to find the girl with wild midnight black hair. If not for her angry expression than for the pint of whiskey she was putting away like water.

Jean grimaced and slid up next to the girl. "Hello." She put on her best smile. The girl turned to her with an annoyed expression but paused and blushed when she saw Jean's face. She couldn't help a small giggle as she herd the girl's transmitted thoughts turn into mush and adoration.

"Hi." The girl finally responded with a cute blush.

"My name is Jean, Jean Grey." Jean told her.

"Sam. Sam Potter in point of fact. Just don't spread it around." Sam told her. 'Not that anyone will notice anything else once they get a good look at the scar.'

Jean had to call on all her willpower not to look directly at the scar the girl had just thought about. She had the feeling it wouldn't earn her any points to do so. "I'm just visiting, playing tourist. Have you been in London long?"

Sam laughed but it was hard and bitter. "Of course not, Jean. The old bastard wouldn't like his precious Sammy Potter walking around somewhere dangerous like… well anywhere really… without his holding her leash. And poor little Sammy Potter is such a good little girl she'd never even think of telling the old bastard where to shove it. So no, not long at all."

Jean didn't need to see the girl's surface thoughts to know it wasn't so much exaggeration as metaphor. It was going to be hard convincing the girl to have a serious, sober discussion. "So, do you play any Soc… Umm, Football. I play on my high school team back in the states but I hear it's a lot bigger over here."

"Hmm, no, can't say I have. Not that it doesn't sound fun." Sam replied and took another swig of her whiskey. "Personally I hate sports… but I kind of love 'em too. I make that perfect catch, win the game all in one fell swoop and… It's magic. Real magic. And I know it's for me you know. For that moment everyone sees me and what _I_ _did_."

Jean wasn't sure how to interpret the images of flying and broomsticks that accompanied those thoughts, but she recognized the emotions. It was the same things she felt when she scored a goal for her team. That one moment where it didn't matter she was a mutant. Nobody was impressed with her powers or her popularity or her mind, they praised her because of what she'd done, not who or what she was.

"I know what you mean." Was all she could really say.

Suddenly Sam was on her feet and dragging Jean behind her. "Come on! We're going to find somewhere we can gamble and we're going to go broke!"

"We are?" Jean asked as she was dragged along by the surprisingly strong girl.

"Absolutely! Just you and me and our knickers!" Sam cackled as they picked up speed out on the street.

* * *

Jean barely opened her eyes when the body she was holding stirred. She was so warm and the feel of her bed partner's flesh was positively scrumptious. Of course the girl's rather loud thoughts were making it a bit hard to settle back into slumber.

'Where am I? Who is that?' The black haired girl shook herself slightly. 'My head hurts…'

Jean sighed and plucked a few memories of the night before from Sam's perspective from her mind. With a bit of focus she easily showed them to Sam to guide her back to her own memories of the night. "Jean... We… Umm, that is to say… Please don't hurt me?" Sam was rather cutely embarrassed, though sadly apparently used to a lot of negative feedback.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Sam." Jean told her. "In fact, I'm rather looking forward to doing that again. Trust me we _are_ doing that again."

'Oh god. Too sexy.' Sam thought but said aloud, "I think I remember some of it but I'm still a little fuzzy on how we wound up here."

Jean smirked at the naked girl and took a second to just enjoy the way her breathing made her breasts heave. Then finally she used one finger to trace the surface of the platinum domino necklace she was wearing. "_You_ decided that it would be good to hit that little casino and lose all your money. It was going exactly as planned until you actually bet this necklace… Anyways, after that the plan utterly failed. You positively cleaned up and got us the penthouse suite comped as part of the payment."

"After I got you alone I asked you about mutants and you confused me with drunken ramblings about witches. Once I was sure we wouldn't get anywhere I asked if I could scan your mind and you agreed. During the scan… Well I guess you could say we bonded. Right now I'm keeping it silent so it doesn't overwhelm you, but from now on our minds are intimately connected." Jean told her.

Sam paused for a moment and then nodded. "I'm sorry."

Jean frowned, "For what?"

Sam shook her head. "I can't imagine my mind is a very nice place to be lately…"

Jean sighed and sat up. She greatly enjoyed the mental and physical gasp Sam gave at seeing her body. "That's a silly thing to think about your own mind. Personally I quite like your mind. Safe and warm, perhaps not as bright as some but it has a dark beauty to it, just like you." Jean pushed her own feelings about the girl's physical attractiveness to her through the bond.

Sam blushed. "That's… I mean that's just so…" Then she grimaced. "What about Voldemort? I'm connected to him. That can't be pleasant."

Jean waved her hand. "We cleaned that crap off of your soul right away. You shouldn't have had to live with that."

Sam looked confused. "How much of last night am I missing?"

"Almost all of it. There was a lot that happened. But in order for me to show it to you I'm going to have to open up our bond… For now it's going to be hard keeping ourselves separate." Jean warned her.

Sam took a deep breath and readied her mind as best she could. "Okay I'm read—"

The ringing of Jean's cell-phone interrupted them. Sam groaned and threw herself back on the bed while Jean giggled. The redhead walked over to her pants with a purposeful sway in her hips that teased scrumptious waves of lust from her lover. With a bit of sensual flourish she pulled the phone out of the pocket and accepted the call. "Hello Professor."

"Jean, Cerebro registered the activation of a new mutant in your area. A Samantha Rose Potter of Number Four Privet Drive, in Surrey. I was hoping I could convince you to make a slight detour to meet with her." Professor Xavier said.

"Sure, Professor. I'll make sure she knows all about the institute. Are you going to be coming over yourself?" Jean asked.

"Of course." He replied. "I'll be there tomorrow morning at the earliest."

"Tell you what, Professor. How about I see if I can't convince Samantha to meet you for lunch in London, then." She offered.

"If you feel that's best. I look forward to it then." Professor Xavier said and hung up.

"We have a lunch date with Xavier tomorrow," Jean reported to Samantha. She walked back over to the bed and took a seat facing her lover. Her hand caressed the girl's cheek. "I think we can wait to experience the full bond again. We have time… I won't leave you. Not just can't, won't. It may be new, but I know… I love you Sam. I love _you._"

Sam looked near tears. Jean opened their connection just enough to share her feelings of love through it. That broke the floodgate completely and Sam burst into tears. Jean gathered her in close and held her head to her chest.

"You're right, last night can wait. We need to go to the goblins so I can transfer some money to the states," Sam said quietly after crying herself out.

"You're certain?" Jean asked.

"Yes. I'm through with Britain. Let them save themselves for once." Sam said. "I'm going to be with you. That's what's important now."

* * *

Jean paused halfway up the stairs to the marble building. A part of her wanted to growl at the unkind things the people around her were thinking of Sam, but another part just wanted to appreciate the wonder of such a grand building.

"I know." Sam said taking her hand. "Before we get in there though I want to make some things clear. Goblins are not humans. Now hear me out… Mutants are still human. Witches and Wizards are still humans. We may be different but fundamentally we are still human. Goblins are not. If you try and walk in there thinking of them as humans and treating them as humans you'll be just as disrespectful to them as the arrogant arses that treat them like slaves."

"Goblins are hard and often cruel. They believe life is a test of your cunning and ruthlessness. When you enter a goblin bank it's a battle of words and contracts. They are almost physically incapable of breaking a contract unless they know the other side has already broken it, but that just means they have a lot of experience in navigating the murky waters of loop holes and technicalities." Sam told her. "Even if you learn their language, never give a goblin a greeting they use with each other. What is acceptable within the clan is a grievous insult from an outsider. Show respect, but never show fear."

Sam smirked, "Oh, and never take legal advice from a Goblin. They'll tell you the truth, but rarely the whole truth."

Jean could only nod and follow her lover into the building. A part of her desperately wanted to gawk at the diminutive creatures, but with a force of will she kept her eyes on Sam's back instead. She couldn't help a slight smile when her eyes came to rest on the girl's shapely rear though.

"I'd like to speak to the Potter and Black accounts managers, please." Sam told the teller she'd marched up to.

The goblin took an annoyed sniff but pressed a few buttons on his stand. "Take a seat." The goblin ordered with disdain.

"We'll stand." Sam replied but moved them to the general area of the seat anyways. In the silence that followed Sam started speaking, "At Hogwarts they have a history class that has given me six years of fucking goblin on wizard violence and it wasn't until I had access to my godfather's library that I learned the first damn thing about actually dealing with them on a daily basis."

"That seems kind of disappointing." Jean replied. "I mean it's not like mundane schooling doesn't have similar problems, but that's pretty bad. I'd have expected that much history to include at least something about their culture."

"There are no secondary schools except _maybe_ Auror training. Everything else is based on apprenticeships." Sam shook her head. "According to Hermione's parents, it's university that really teaches critical thinking skills. It's kind of obvious the magical world is missing that quality."

"The managers will see you now. If you'll follow me." A somewhat younger seeming goblin told them from an open doorway.

"Of course." Sam said and walked after the goblin practically pulling Jean along after her. Jean would have objected but she could feel the nerves radiating from her lover. Instead she gripped back and tried to project a bit of reassurance past the shield silencing their bond.

"Ah, Ms. Potter, my name is Hooksnit manager of the Potter account and this is Grimshack manager of the Black account. What can my colleague and I do for you and the Most Ancient and Noble Houses Potter and Black today?" A particularly gnarled goblin asked as they entered a rather posh office.

"I need about eighty percent of my trust vault moved to American dollars and banks. Those banks must have major branches in or around New York City." Sam told them.

"You may only remove a maximum of ten thousand galleons per year from your trust vault." Hooksnit replied.

"Then you will transfer all that remains of this year's limit to seed the accounts. I'll also want a plan by the end of the month for moving the remainder next year after reaching my majority." Sam told him.

"Ah. So you are quite serious about moving closer to your mistress then." Hooksnit said gaining a narrow eyed glare from Sam. "If you were to perhaps marry the girl than you would be immediately emancipated to act as Lord Potter and Black with her as your Lady… Potter of course, the Black family charter would not allow her to become Lady Black."

"Perhaps. It is a cunning suggestion." Sam replied but didn't follow the train of thought. "I am aware that I cannot access the family vaults however I would like a full audit of both accounts. Jean…" Sam turned and accepted a business card from Jean. "It should be sent care of the Xavier Institute. They shall ensure it reaches me. I suspect this will take you some time, but I fully expect the audits completed by New Year's Eve."

"That is acceptable for the Potter Account." Hooksnit said.

"While that is acceptable for the Black Account in general, I am curious if you wish an audit of the vaults of those that have sworn fealty or signed subordinations contracts with House Black?" Grimshack asked.

"I would like a list of those vaults. However I will eventually audit those vaults myself rather than waste your precious time, Manager Grimshack." Sam told them. "Now do either of you have outstanding business for me?"

Both managers shook their head negative. "No, Ms. Potter. If you are done then this meeting can be adjourned." Hooksnit replied.

"Yes, I am quite satisfied. Good day." Sam told them and turned to follow their escort back out to the lobby. It wasn't until they had left the bank entirely that Sam allowed herself to shake from overworked nerves. "Oh god that was tense."

Jean put her arm around her and pulled her close. Still she had her own insecurity she needed to get out. "You were pretty quick to dismiss marriage in there."

Sam looked at Jean for a moment then lowered her eyes. "Oh… If you want to, we probably can. Just… There's a chance it may not be what you'd expect. While I'm sure it will emancipate me like they said, there's not much telling how much else it would do. We could easily run afoul of a dozen ministry laws or orders. The Potter and Black accounts are enormous, if they thought a bit of 'free legal advice' could get them defaulted into goblin possession they wouldn't hesitate a moment."

Jean nodded and smiled. "I'm sorry for doubting you. You're right, we need to be careful."

"Actually, being careful doesn't mean dismissing it out of hand. I'd really like to find a solicitor to talk about it, but that could be rather hard. I'd need my guardian there even just to talk about it. I don't… I don't trust any of my guardians." Sam said quietly.

"Well Xavier will be here tomorrow. We could try from my side instead." Jean offered.

Sam looked sad, "Muggles don't have any rights in magical…" She stopped and suddenly broke out into a huge grin, "But you also don't figure into our rules in general! You wouldn't even need a guardian to talk to a solicitor and so long as we don't bring me up by name, we can get a full consultation right now!"

Jean paused and then grinned. "Alright, let's do it."

"Come on, I'm pretty sure there's a solicitor's office over this way!" Sam dragged her lover along.

* * *

Hardison Bell crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. It had always been easy to get Hardison to admit that he didn't know everything but he was certainly no fool. When a muggle girl accompanied none other than Samantha Potter into his firm and then met with him alone to ask endless questions about the legalities of marrying an under-age heiress he put two and two together. He'd even noticed that her questions would change and sharpen with time. It was a safe bet the pair had some way of communicating with each other.

"If you ran into it blind I don't expect you'd keep the family's fortune, sadly enough. There is however an option. An extreme option, mind you, but it would allow your marriage while protecting you from any legal repercussions." Hardison told her. "Without this, even if current laws allowed your marriage the Wizengamot would just write a whole new bill to destroy you."

"I see." Jean said. "And this option would be?"

Hardison couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face. "Well you see pureblood males have developed a nasty habit of going sterile over the years. For that reason some enterprising potions mistress managed to create a potion that would, if applied properly mind you, impregnate a woman using blood rather than sperm."

Jean blinked and then blushed completely red. "Are you saying I would need to… To conceive her child before…"

"Afraid so." Hardison told her. "Once you've got an heir on the way the Wizengamot can't muck around. Laws against tampering with pureblood lines are about as hard as they come." He shook his head sadly, "It's unfortunate the potion is such a recent invention. A few centuries back there wasn't so much prejudice against this sort of thing amongst magicals. The purebloods finally stamped that out in their rush to make all women whores and all their bastards lords of minor houses."

"And if we just waited for a few years? Would that make any difference?" Jean asked.

"Yes and no. If you waited for your blushing bride to be to naturally inherit there'd be less chance of losing the money certainly. But they could still use inheritance laws against you to take away the lordships and the ancestral manors. Probably award them to some third or fourth cousin. Actually from what I've heard there is a certain heiress to two ancient and noble houses that may find themselves on the wrong side of the Wizengamot if they don't get at least a betrothal in the works soon." Hardison gave her a hard look to make sure his warning was understood.

"Beyond that… Well, the return of That-Evil-Git is the talk of the town. It may not be ideal but now is the time for whirlwind romances. It's difficult to say who might still be around tomorrow or where things are going to fall out with the ministry over the next few years. Time was the Ancient and Nobles ran things and everyone else fell in line. Nowadays the not so ancient and arguably noble houses are piling on the death-eater wagon while all of the great old families are reduced to a few underage school kids at most."

"Tell you what. You get your lady love to 'acquire' the potion in question and I can get a trusted medwitch to test for conception and proof of lineage a month later. A month of patience and we'll have you legally married, out of the country and with a proper heir on the way." Hardison offered.

Jean was silent for a long moment. Hardison was more certain than ever that they were capable of communicating at this point. Finally the redhead nodded with a determined set to her jaw. "Please do contact the medwitch in question, Mr. Bell. We expect to make use of the potion tonight."

Hardison Bell crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

* * *

Jean stared at the potion that Sam was rather casually holding her bleeding hand over. "According to the Potions Mistress I got this from we will need to ahhh consummate the act to ensure the potion takes hold. It also has to be applied directly and you'll want some lead up to that." Sam told her.

The redhead shook her head. "I really thought I would be fighting this tooth and nail. I can't think of anyone back home who would ever expect me to do anything like this. Straight A honor student, plans it all and never throws wild parties…"

"But you're not." Sam pointed out. The link was being held partway open to help them adjust to it. If Jean had an objection Sam would have been able to feel it.

"No. No I'm not." Jean agreed.

Sam gave her an encouraging smile. She picked up her wand and cast a simple healing charm to close her cut. "The potion needs to set for a bit. I think we could use a shower…"

Jean let the mental walls fall a little lower as they stripped themselves entirely. She'd always been the type to let the water run and test the temperature before jumping in. Sam simply jumped in as soon as the water started sending a shock of cold through their connection.

"Cold!" Jean complained drawing her lover's smirk.

"Aww, it's not that bad. Come on, the water's fine." Sam urged her with a light laugh.

Jean gave her a look that spoke very clearly of her opinion on the ravenette's judgment. Still she shook her head and stepped into the artificial rain. At first her skin rebelled against the sudden change but soon it felt comfortably warm. It was slow but she finally relaxed.

She gasped in shock when Sam's hand came to rest on her hip. The touch itself was comforting but through the connection she could feel her own skin against Sam's hand. In that moment Jean knew what she needed. More than a touch, more than a feeling.

It was sudden but their kiss held more passion in it than Jean had ever remembered feeling in her life. Their bodies naturally came together. They pressed against each other and yet gave way to each other. The barrier waned even more and for a brief moment they were one being. Their bodies were still separate. Their brains each processed different needs, thoughts and desires, but only one entity, one will, guided them.

Their hands explored each other's bodies as well as their own. Lips suckling on the tender flesh of Sam's neck sent shudders of pleasure through both of them. Each touch and caress was quickly modulated if it was too forceful or too light.

When thoughts of adoration for the beauty of Samantha's breast crossed Jean's mind they both felt a surge of happy arousal. A moment of desire when green eyes hungrily consumed the sight of water cascading down Jean's legs sent a shiver through the red-head as well.

A stray thought reminded them that they couldn't spend too long in the shower. Jean firmed back up the mental shields as they pulled apart. She didn't feel any less aroused. The raw desire still filled her thoughts, but she couldn't help feeling as though the world around her had become… less. Less vibrant, less detailed, less interesting... Just less.

They only wasted a brief moment toweling each other off before Sam grabbed her by the hand and dragged her back to the bed. "Are you… Ready?" Sam asked with a cutely embarrassed blush.

Jean took the girl's hand in her own and gently guided it down to her labia. "Why don't you tell me?"

Sam blushed harder but didn't hesitate to explore the opening with her fingers. A smile crossed her face as the fingertips slipped slightly against the slick natural lubricants. "Good… I really don't want this to be painful for you."

Jean just watched in amusement as the girl opened the non-descript bag that held their most recent purchase. Sam lifted the seemingly disordered mass of straps out into the open and inspected it for a moment. Her blush returned full force when a slight shift allowed the rubber dildo to tumble into the open. It wasn't particularly large. Neither of them had the experience for anything too… Adventurous.

The young witch did an admirable job putting her embarrassment aside and strapped the implement firmly in place. She then grabbed the unregistered wand she'd bought in America last Christmas and cast a very specific sort of sticking charm on it. With the charm properly applied she dipped it in the potion transferring the liquid from the large vial to the dildo.

"Last chance to change your mind." Sam informed her.

"Denied. Now let's get started before we lose the mood," Jean chided her. The redhead quickly slid to the edge of the bed and spread her legs to show she was ready.

Sam blushed and nodded. She was almost agonizingly slow and gentle as she lined up the toy for entry and slid both hands down to Jean's pussy to gently pry her lips apart.

It wasn't Jean's first sexual experience but the added layer of potion certainly made her feel like it. The fluid was much warmer than body temperature and shifted slightly in ways that laughed at the laws of physics. There was even a pulsating sensation that fluttered torturously lightly against her inner flesh.

She saw Sam biting her lip and realized that despite the glorious sensations, the girl wasn't able to feel what was going on. It took slightly more concentration than she was strictly comfortable with giving but soon the shield on their connection had been pulled back just enough for them to feel each other's senses.

Sam gasped and released a slow moan as she felt Jean's pleasure for herself. It was with much greater confidence that she began a series of in and out strokes. The pleasurable feedback from her actions convinced her far better than words that she didn't need to treat Jean like glass. If anything Jean was far more satisfied as their lovemaking got rougher.

Jean didn't let the focus on their fucking fully distract her from the other aspects of their coupling. Her hands were fully at work exploring the sensations of her lover's body looking for that one touch, one caress that would bring their pleasure to new heights. Sam made her work much easier by leaning over her and taking one of her breasts in her mouth.

When Jean finally came the psychic feedback was more than enough to set Sam off as well. Apparently seeing the opportunity to fulfill its purpose the potion exploded off the toy and into Jean's deepest recesses.

They both gasped as all their powers, including the bond, flared up to maximum for a single second. It was impossible to grasp everything that happened in that moment but they could catch the faintest of snippets. Probability bent over backwards, ancient and powerful magic filled their blood and bodies leaving a lingering feeling of safety and benevolence, and the faintest cry of a phoenix caressed their minds.

Despite their plans for a long night they both collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. Only sheer luck kept them from sliding off the bed entirely in their sudden exhaustion. Jean tried to move but her body protested so instead she used what remained of her focus to levitate them both back onto the bed.

Jean snuggled close to her lover. Their minds were slowly disconnecting and settling back to their own bodies. It took a bit more effort than she liked but she quickly raised a thin shield over their connection for when they woke. She passed into slumber only seconds later.

* * *

**A/N:** Don't feel like messing with the story for such a small technical detail, so here it is. The potion when used as intended will essentially remain in effect until the woman ovulates so there is no need to specifically plan when to use it. The important timeframes are brewing till copulation, outside of that it's a very flexible and forgiving potion.

I am currently working on the next chapter of Harmony Potter and the Trial of the Ancients. A lot happened and I completely lost the initial thread of the story. Now that I'm back into it, I still must request patience as certain medicinal problems have made 10K words a MUCH larger hurdle than it was at the time I'd written the first chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

It was partway through breakfast that Jean realized she was, in fact, the second woman in Sam's life. The first landed at their café table with a regal puff of her snowy white feathers and a condescending look at her human. Sam's wand work was blazing fast but her surface thoughts revealed the charms she cast to be notice-me-nots and a small glamour to make them harder to identify.

"Smart girl finding me out here. Jean, say hello to Hedwig. Hedwig, Jean," Sam introduced the snowy owl and ran a few diagnostic spells over her and the letter attached to her leg. "Tracking charms, damn. Once I take them off, we have to move."

Jean nodded and quickly cleaned up their dishes so they wouldn't leave a mess behind. Her eyes were entranced by the motions of the ornately carved wood Sam was flicking and swishing around with both focus and abandon. Soon she deemed it safe and they were both up and running down the thoroughfare.

By unspoken agreement they both kept to the populated roads. Now that Hedwig was proven clean of trackers Sam sent her on ahead to their hotel room. "We'll need to get some decent distance and then catch a cab. I don't want them catching us because we got caught in traffic." Sam shouted to her.

"Who are we running from?" Jean asked.

"The old bastard and all his flaming chickens!" Sam replied. While the bond filled in the gaps, Jean still found it a hysterical mental image. Her humor died at the sight of colorfully swirling robes at the edge of her vision.

"I think they've caught on to us." Jean told her.

"Fuck! Probably werewolf senses. Remus I love you mate, but if I don't make it out of this I'm going after you with a whole ton of silver." Sam muttered.

Jean's phone rang causing her to growl in irritation. It was hard getting the small plastic rectangle out of her pocket without interrupting their stride. "WHAT!?" She didn't bother with patience.

"Jean? I can sense your feelings of alarm, are you okay?" Professor Xavier asked.

"Umm… Well to make a long story short Sam's headmaster objected to her spending too long away from her legal guardians. So far I've identified at least three people chasing us." Jean told him.

"I see… Kitty and Logan are on their way. This sounds like it'll be quite the story." Professor Xavier told her.

"Backup is coming. We just need to keep going," Jean informed her lover.

"Oh good!" Sam replied with only a modicum of actual cheer.

Jean checked her phone, "It's almost eight. If we can keep going we can lose them on the subway."

"The what?" Sam asked.

"Uhh… The tube!" Jean corrected herself.

"Oh! But we just missed the stairs!" Sam told her.

"Don't worry. We're getting there another way." Jean smirked.

As soon as Kitty and Logan appeared at the edge of her awareness she took command telepathically. The plan was hashed out in seconds and agreed upon instantly. Sam and Jean pushed themselves harder to reach the particular alleyway they were looking for.

Logan was already in the alleyway breaking open bottles of whiskey. The sharp scent of alcohol was supposed to give them an edge for escaping their tracker. Kitty was pacing back and forth looking completely out of place in her flowery bohemian princess style clothes. "Everyone, like, grab on!" She called as soon as they entered the alleyway.

Jean and Sam let go of each other to grab onto Kitty's arms and Logan placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. She closed her eyes and cutely scrunched her face up in concentration and suddenly they were falling. Jean barely remembered to roll with the landing while Sam landed off balance and was soon on her ass. Only Logan had landed perfectly and he was now holding a wide-eyed Kitty off the floor with an arm around her waist.

"Come on." Logan said gruffly as he put the girl down. "We're going to miss the train if we don't hustle."

Jean looked around the platform they'd landed on and couldn't help but agree. The train presently at the station was already mostly boarded and the clock was reading five after. Even at their best run they missed the doors, but thankfully kitty once again phased them through. All three girls immediately fell on an open set of seats.

"Too much…" Kitty huffed out.

"Definitely." Sam agreed with only slightly less puffing.

"Need a break…" Jean thirded.

"Girls." Logan chided earning a glare from all three of them. "So what was that all about?"

Sam took a few deep breaths and evened out her breathing as best she could. "I go to a special school… In Scotland. I can't talk a lot about what they teach, but we have divination as a class. The teacher prophesied that I was supposed to kill some big shot terrorist douchebag back before I was born only he heard just enough of the prophecy to identify me."

She shook her head. "It's all a long story but for now the headmaster of my school keeps controlling my life. When I'm not at school he packs me away with my piece of shit relatives who treat me like a slave. I decided to go out on the town on my own a couple nights back and met Jean. You can see the result for yourself."

"Is that all." Logan said sarcastically. "We'll take a cab back to the Professor at the next station. For now rest up."

Jean discretely took her lover's hand back into her own. 'The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches… Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark her as his equal, but she will have power the Dark Lord knows not…' Jean shivered at the prophecy playing through Sam's mind. 'Born to those who have thrice defied him… _Born to those who have thrice defied him._'

Sam's hand shot to her neck and she pulled out the platinum domino necklace hanging there. "May your luck be better than mine… Well that worked like a fucking charm." Sam muttered.

"We need to go back to ou—My hotel room. There's someone I need to contact and I can only do it by owl." Sam whispered in Jean's ear. The frown Logan suddenly leveled on them proved the girl had been correct to censor her words.

Jean nodded and looked at Logan. "Change of plans, we're going back to Sam's hotel room. I'll contact the professor."

"What's this about?" Logan asked, and Kitty's curious expression proved she wanted to know as well.

"The hero of the prophecy was supposed to be born to a couple who had defied the… terrorist three times." Sam told him. "I'm adopted."

"So, like, you can't be the person it's referring to?" Kitty asked.

"Exactly." Sam agreed. "I know another girl it may have meant… She has to know. I can't keep this from her."

Jean nodded and dialed her phone. "Professor… Change of plans."

* * *

Augusta Longbottom marched through downtown London with a single-minded focus on her present mission. Her granddaughter Nadia quietly earned her pride by matching her stride and focus with her own. Only a few years ago the girl would have hidden behind her skirts. Now she may have been quiet but she was far from cowed.

A frown marred her features as she reached the appropriate street but didn't see the person they were supposed to meet. She almost jumped, dignity be damned, when she felt a gentle brush against her occlumency shields. It wasn't subtle like an attack meant to slip past her guard, just gentle.

'Madam Longbottom?' The words were outside her shield. It was unobtrusive but certainly not her own.

'Yes.' The Longbottom matriarch replied by focusing on sending the thought outside her shields.

'Samantha's waiting for you in the penthouse suite of the Golden Lion hotel.' This time the voice also sent an image of the girl in question sitting on a large hotel bed scribbling in a composition notebook.

"Our destination is clearer now, Nadia. Follow me." She instructed her granddaughter before leading the way to the hotel in question. The staff got little more than a curt nod as she skipped straight to the elevators and took one to the penthouse.

Her first impression on exiting the elevator was that the room was quite tacky. Gold was a major theme in the décor but the owners clearly couldn't afford much of the actual metal. Still, she remembered more than a few safe houses she'd been in during the war with Grindelwald. Better by far to find oneself in a revolting place selected on a whim than one too easily guessed by one's enemies.

The sitting room was occupied by a distinguished man in a wheelchair, a teenage girl about her granddaughter's age and a grizzled man who reminded her far too much of a certain auror. While they politely noted her arrival they also politely kept their attention to themselves like fellow guests.

"Sam's in here. She'll be speaking to you two alone." The voice from her mind said drawing her attention. She immediately noticed the red hair and green eyes of the teenager and couldn't help wondering if the girl were perhaps a relative of Lily's.

"Thank you. We shall be in to see her presently." Madam Longbottom said. They strode into the room while the girl held the door open but to her relief she really did leave them alone with the girl in question. For a long moment she remained silent to take the measure of the teenager that had called her here.

Samantha Potter was certainly what anyone would consider a rare beauty. From what her Nadia had told her, it was more of a curse for the attention averse girl than a blessing most times. To her surprise Nadia quickly swept around her and gave the girl a friendly hug.

"Thank you for coming, Nadia... Madam Longbottom," Sam said and motioned them to a small sitting table that had been set up with some tea. "I'm afraid that I have some very grave news for you."

"According to my Nadia not only has Voldemort returned, but he has had over a year to build up his forces worse than unopposed. I'm not sure how much graver your news could possibly be." Augusta stated, enjoying the look of mild disbelief her easy mention of the name brought.

Samantha fidgeted for a moment and then let out an explosive breath. "The fight in the department of mysteries was in order to prevent Voldemort from hearing a prophecy." Augusta couldn't really feel particularly surprised at that. She'd pieced it together easily enough. "The prophecy foretold the birth of someone who would eventually vanquish him once and for all."

"_Born to those who had thrice defied him… Born as the seventh month dies… And the Dark Lord will mark her as his equal, and she will have power the Dark Lord knows not… And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives_." Samantha intoned, making it clear what she was saying. "Dumbledore believed the prophecy could refer to one of two girls. Myself or…"

"Me," Nadia said, speaking for the first time in their meeting.

"Yes… You." Sam quietly confirmed. "Now, after the night I got this scar Dumbledore interpreted it to mean I had been the one marked making me the one in the prophecy."

"I can see how he came to that conclusion." Augusta agreed wondering where this was going.

"Unfortunately, Dumbledore was so paranoid he didn't share the prophecy with anyone. He informed my parents, and yours, Nadia, that we were being hunted but came up with a cover about some ritual to steal family magics." Sam continued. "When my godfather… When Sirius was killed at the ministry his will became active. In it was a corollary to ensure that I was delivered this necklace," she pulled out her platinum domino charm, "Without anyone else knowing what it was or what the letter with it said."

Sam paused and turned to a window to gather her courage. "While James and Lily Potter loved me enough to invoke forbidden blood magic to give me a proper line adoption, they were not my biological parents."

Augusta and Nadia both gasped. There were so many things to think about that, so many places for her thoughts to go. However the girl had led them expertly down this road. The implication was clear. "You think the prophecy is about Nadia."

"Perhaps. There are still two parts I can't pretend to understand. The part about marking her as his equal and the part where neither can live while the other survives. It all gets rather confusing around those, though I think Dumbledore went out of his way to force me to fit the wording." Samantha looked back at her with the haunted eyes of someone who has seen far too much suffering in their years.

Augusta took a moment to consider it. "Do you know Susan Bones very well, Samantha?"

Sam shook her head. "I've had a conversation or two with her but we never really got to know each other. Why?"

"The Bones were rather staunchly against Voldemort but they also had a deep seated distrust for Dumbledore and the Light alliance. You see, their family name comes from a time when the line between healing magic and necromancy was extremely thin. Autopsy was a controversial art and making use of those cadavers wouldn't have been seen as that much more dark than performing the study itself." Augusta explained.

"Since Voldemort wears his thanatophobia on his sleeve his interest in their necromantic arts surprised nobody. He came first for Susan's grandparents, Lord Robert and Lady Olivia. They refused to teach him their family art and were killed soon thereafter. Then he went to their eldest Edgar and offered him a place among his death eaters. He refused and later his entire family was killed."

"Afterwards he had to choose between visiting the middle child, Amelia, or the youngest son, Calvert. As it so happened Calvert was quite ready for that confrontation. Their battle lasted far longer than most other engagements in the war. There was no order or ministry involvement as Calvert delved deep into his family's macabre arts for that battle." Augusta smiled. "It was mid-October, and those few who knew about it have even theorized that Voldemort was still recovering from that battle when he came knocking on the Potter's door."

"The day after the battle his wife died in child-birth. Julia Bones was a fine woman. Of course while all records know her as Julia, amongst friends she went by a nickname derived from what she considered her lucky month. July." Augusta paused and nodded at the widened eyes of the girls. "Her healer was tried for negligence and was proven to have been an agent of Voldemort. According to that woman, Voldemort was systematically clearing the way to eventually take Susan altogether and through her one day acquire her family arts."

Silence reigned as they all took a moment to let that sink in.

"So you think the prophecy refers to Susan?" Samantha asked, biting her lip in thought.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. The point is that it isn't as clear cut as it seems. Albus hadn't really interacted with Julia Bones over the course of his life. He was never close enough to know her nickname. If he overlooked one child who is an even better fit than Nadia, how many more might there be." Augusta shook her head. "It is never safe to assume a perfect understanding of prophecy. Fate will do its worst to keep the wording technically true."

Sam nodded. "I agree." She hesitated for a moment then spoke, "I'm going to be leaving for America in about a month. That should draw Dumbledore and Voldemort's attention away from here somewhat. At the very least the snake might get overconfident if he thinks the only person who can vanquish him is thousands of miles away."

Augusta stopped mid thought and stared at the girl. She may not have heard as much as some, but she thought she had at least enough of a handle on her character to know she wasn't a coward. Her eyes tracked around the room wondering what she was missing until she spotted an empty potion vial. The vial was quite distinct and she recognized it quickly. "You couldn't have…"

She turned back to face the girl and found herself instead facing the hard visage of a seasoned warrior. "I will do whatever it takes to protect my family." Sam said quietly. There wasn't an inch of fear or hesitation in her expression as she stared down one of the most feared matriarchs in wizarding Britain.

Nadia gave her grandmother a questioning look but Augusta kept her own council. Samantha Potter may have been leaving the country, but she was also playing bait at the highest and most dangerous levels. Were she simply a coward she could have publicly advertised her adoption and easily avoided both men's attention. While it was not the manner in which it was expected, her contribution could very well win them the war.

"I doubt this will gain you many fans, but know this: The Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom will forever be the friend of you and all your issue." Augusta finally spoke.

"Thank you, Madam Longbottom." Sam gave her a quick bow. "I take comfort in knowing that I will always have at least one friend in this world."

"Now, I believe it is time that my granddaughter and I were going. There is much to arrange… So very much to do." Augusta said and began the long trek back to the Longbottom flat and its secured floo.

* * *

"It'll take Samantha about a month until she's ready to come to the institute. She'll need my help to finish out some things, so I'll be staying here with her." Jean told the gathered X-Men. Part of her attention was on the conversation her lover was having in the other room, but not enough to seem inattentive.

"I'm not so certain that's a good idea Jean. While it may be summertime, I seem to recall you had a rather busy schedule." Professor Xavier said.

"Nothing that can't be rescheduled or handled at a later date." Jean replied.

"Do you have somewhere you can stay while you're here?" Logan asked. He growled at the tea Jean had set out and stood to find a pot of coffee.

"I'll be staying with Sam. She has enough to cover this room once the comp rate runs out so it's not a big deal." Jean replied.

"That's, like, so cool. I mean this place isn't exactly fab but it's, like, got a lot of space you know." Kitty happily chirped.

"Perhaps I should leave Professor Logan here as a chaperone." Professor Xavier offered. The man himself frowned over his freshly poured coffee.

"Sorry professor, but I don't think Sam would be comfortable with that. She's… Led a very interesting life. I'm sure I can convince her to share the whole story once we're in New York. For the moment though, there is a very good reason we are here and not in Surrey. Unless that changes it should really stay as just the two of us." Jean countered.

Xavier looked like he was about to speak but Logan cut him off, "Let it go, Chuck. Jean's done everything proper and by the book for as long as I've known her. If she thinks this is important, you can trust her this time."

There was a loud click as the door to the bedroom opened. They all worked hard to maintain polite disinterest despite the oversized stuffed vulture on the woman's hat. She gave them a curt nod of acknowledgement and swept regally towards the elevator entrance with her granddaughter trailing behind, face hidden behind dark tresses of hair.

"Is there anything else to take care of today, Professor?" Jean asked while she cast a worried eye at the opened doorway.

"No… I suppose not. However, I would rather like a _full_ explanation when we meet back at the mansion." The professor said before shepherding his small group back to the elevators.

Jean watched them go and then walked over to the doorway. If she couldn't see Sam's eyes she would have thought the girl to be rather serenely pondering her tea. The hurricane force storm of emotion just on the other side of their bond put the lie to that. For a moment she was tempted to open the bond entirely, but then she would have to ride the storm… Better to wait it out and be ready to heal the damage afterwards.

There was no visible warning of the impending change. One moment her mask of calm was perfect, the next Sam was screaming in unrepentant rage as she trashed any unfortunate furniture that happened to get in her way. For a fifteen year old girl it was a more than impressive inventory of damages.

The coffee table was reduced to component parts in a single punch. A serving platter worth of fine china smashed against an interior wall. Mattresses were upturned and an armoire smashed on the ground.

Finally Sam fell to her knees with tears streaking down her face. The worst part was the laughter. It was horrible, soulless, empty laughter of the sort given when the only punch line possible was life. Her pain was so raw against the edges of the bond that even with it almost fully closed it still brought Jean to tears.

Certain that the storm had passed Jean ran to her lover gathered her close. The black haired girl cried and laughed and cried some more into her chest. Hedwig winged her way over to land next to them and added her own showering of affection.

"Shh… Shh. I'm here for you. I'm here, my love." Jean whispered in her ear. The emotion behind her words, the feeling of love and the earnest wish to ease her lover's pain, was pushed gently through the bond as well.

"I… I…" Sam tried to start but broke to sob a few more times. "All that pain… All that… I was so scared. Always so scared. I'm scared. Oh god, I'm still so scared. And none of it had to be. Nothing… It was just… It was just _bad luck_…" The sobs returned full force but seemed to consume what little was left of her energy.

Jean nodded and held her close for another long spell. Finally she disengaged. "Come on. Let's get you to bed. You'll feel better with some sleep."

She was halfway through undressing her lover when the girl seemed to realize the state of the room around them. "Wa—" Her voice cracked startling her into silence. "Wand."

Jean frowned but used her telekinesis to deliver the girl her wand from the seat it had been forgotten on. Sam gave her a slight smile and then harshly barked out a single word. "Repairo!"

Almost instantly everything broken or upturned righted itself. A few seconds later the outstanding tea stains were the only sign that the room had seen any change since before the Longbottom's arrived. "Scourgify." Sam croaked and even that problem corrected itself.

Sam gave her a watery smile but she could feel the girl's utter exhaustion. Jean considered it a miracle that she even got the girl undressed and in bed before she'd drifted off completely.

"It looks like she's going to need us at our best, Hedwig." Jean told the snowy owl which quickly agreed. She shook her head and stripped down to join her lover in blissful oblivion.


	3. Chapter 3

"You think she opened with the stunner that night?" Tonks shouted at Remus while she tried to stop her hands from shaking. "That wasn't even in the first five! If I wasn't a trained professional you'd have found a broken and bleeding heap!"

Remus growled in the back of his throat but he didn't have anything to respond to that with.

"I'm leaving The Order, Remus." She said softly.

"What? But… Why? I thought you joined because the ministry wasn't doing its part?" Remus asked her, desperate to understand her thoughts.

"You didn't see the look in her eyes. She saw me, judged me, and as far as she was concerned I wasn't any different than a Death Eater to her." Tonks spoke quietly. "I joined The Order to help people Remus, rules be damned. I won't put myself in a position where the people I care about think I'm some kind of monster. Greater good be damned!"

"I doubt she thought you were a monster, Tonks. She is a child, scared and alone. We can't just abandon her." Remus argued back.

"Weren't you listening to me? She tried to _kill me_! She may be many things but whatever child survived living with those bastards is gone now, Remus. If you all make the mistake of patronizing her you'll wind up _dead._" Tonks replied. With an angry sigh she headed for the door. "I'm resigning from the ministry as well. I think I'll head to Australia…"

She flung the door open to reveal a pair of panicked teens outside. "Girls." Tonks' greeting was curt but it was all she gave. Hermione Granger and Lavender Brown just watched her leave in stunned silence. Once she was out of sight they tentatively entered the sitting room where Remus was staring into the fire.

"Remus… What's going on with Sam?" Hermione asked.

The middle aged werewolf sighed and leaned back in his chair. "A few days ago she snuck out of Privet Drive. Tonks was on guard under an invisibility cloak and surprised her. There was a short duel which apparently Samantha won. According to a note she left in her room her sole intention for the evening was to get incredibly drunk and gamble away all of her spending money."

Lavender shook her head, "That actually sounds like a very Sam thing to do. Actually no, it wouldn't be complete unless she intended to get into a fight at the bar."

Remus gave the young blond a gimlet eye.

"Oh don't give her that look. Sam's always been a bit violent about working out her stronger emotions." Hermione scolded. "She just usually does it on something inanimate where the teachers can't see… Or on Bilius after he puts his foot in it again."

Remus sighed. "Look girls, there isn't much more I can tell you. If you hear from her, please at least tell one of the adults."

"But what if she doesn't want to be found?" Lavender pointed out the obvious.

"She's still a child, Lavender. Not only that but at the moment she's a very emotional, very volatile child. Without anyone around to reign in her worst impulses she'll find herself in a lot of trouble, very quickly." Remus replied.

* * *

"May I help you?" A very prim man asked as he walked up to the nearer of two teenage girls looking over one of the display cases. Their clothes had already earned them a frown but he at least tried to school his features.

"Yeah. Sure. I kind of like that one, but it's all diamonds. Is it possible to set the outside in emeralds instead? And if so can I get one identical to it?" Sam asked the man. Jean was distracted by a display of necklaces nearby.

"Our pieces are not just made on an assembly line somewhere. Each one is a work of art. They are hand crafted by a master jewelsmith." The salesman began.

"So… No to both. Gotcha." Sam cut him off. "Any of these at all come in a matched set where both have diamonds?"

"These are engagement rings. The very best of their kind in fact. They are _one of a kind._" He said with disdain.

Sam gave him an unimpressed look. Her eyes roved across the room until she found a saleswoman who wasn't occupied at the moment and waved her over. She ignored the man's condescension for a moment and walked over to see what Jean was looking at. It was clear the necklace that had caught her eye, simple but elegant silver and centered on a thin row of emeralds that brought the price up to twenty thousand pounds.

"Is something the matter here?" The saleswoman asked as she approached their group, startling Jean.

"Yes, I'm not buying anything from this man. Instead I'd appreciate it if _you_ could set aside that Charlene Franc while we continue browsing. I fully intend for my girlfriend to wear it out of the store. I'll pay cash or card, whichever you prefer." Sam said in an even but cold tone. Jean gave her a look that promised they were going to have a talk later, but she didn't let it ruin her ice bitch impersonation in the moment.

The man finally left in a huff and Sam turned her full attention to the woman as she quickly removed the necklace's case and set it aside. "Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"Yes, I was looking for matching, or at least very close, engagement rings for myself and my fiancée here. I was really thinking a single diamond with emeralds for accent." Sam told her. The woman paused for a long moment but rather than give them the same spiel about uniqueness she instead picked up the necklace and gestured for them to follow her.

When they reached the display case the woman was angling for Sam couldn't quite suppress a grin. Jean seemed more than a little breathless and was quick to lean in and get a better view of the rings on display.

"While the request is not our norm, there has been a rise in same sex weddings that has inspired several prominent jewelers to break the norms somewhat on engagement and wedding rings." The saleswoman explained. "Ordinarily I'd be directing you towards more typical engagement rings but I think these were just made for you two."

She pulled a pair of ring cases out and set them where they could fully appreciate the rings they contained. The rings in question certainly broke many traditions but Sam had to admit there were rather appropriate. Each was a thick silver band with colored metal entwined around it, red metal on one and black on the other. A single mid-sized diamond rested at the center of the design shared by both rings and it was bracketed by a pair of triangularly grouped small emeralds.

At fifteen thousand pounds each and the necklace, Sam knew they were going to be tight until the wedding was finalized. Still she'd brought enough to cover it without great concern. Rather than dwell on the price she turned to Jean. "Well?"

'It's so expensive…' Jean complained in their minds, too embarrassed to voice her concern out loud.

'I've got it covered. So long as they're _right_ I could afford another five grand each. The question is whether or not you feel they're _right._' Sam replied.

Jean smiled slightly and quietly spoke, "I really love them, Sam."

"That settles it. Just leave them in the boxes. We want to give them to each other sometime a bit more proper… But she is definitely wearing that necklace out." Sam told the saleswoman with a happy smile. "Now… Cash or Card?"

* * *

"I understand you wanted to assert yourself, but you didn't have to humiliate him." Jean said as the two sat outside a Subway's watching the crowd mill about them.

"He had a job to do. All he had to do was approach me like a professional and he could have his snooty opinions all day long. If he couldn't be bothered to put his money before his personal opinions then he didn't deserve any of mine." Sam defended herself.

"Very pretty, but that's not what you were thinking at the time." Jean reminded her.

Sam scowled though it was mostly directed inwards. As uncomfortable as it made her to get called out on being petty, she was more annoyed that she had been so petty. "I just… I know money can't cure everything, but it should have at least helped with the shopping." She shook her head. "Everywhere I go it's all snap judgments and fair-weather friends. I'm sick of it and I'm even more sick of putting up with it."

Jean was quiet for a long moment. "I know it feels good in the moment to strike but you have… No, no you don't _have_ to do anything. That's the wrong way to frame this... I think you should consider what you really want before you start hitting back. If you had shown him, quietly and in private, that he was wrong he may have changed. There's no guarantee, but it's a distinct possibility."

"Humiliating him in front of his coworker only sets him on the defensive. The reason may have changed but now he hates you even more. He'll latch on to any little thing that might justify that opinion the next time he sees or hears about you." Jean told her.

Sam was very quiet and she subconsciously moved so that her face was hidden by her midnight locks. "What if… What if I just wanted to hurt him?" Her voice was so quiet it was barely a whisper.

Jean leaned across their small table and took Sam's face in her hands. She didn't say a word while she physically brought her lover's face around to meet her eyes. "Then I would say that I still love you. That I care for you very deeply." Jean focused her feelings of love into their link while basking in the sight of the small, but painfully honest smile her words had earned her.

"I don't really care about that bastard. Chances are we won't see each other again and even if we did it wouldn't so much as stir a hair if he hated us with the fury of a thousand suns. It will always be you that I'm worried about, Sam. People who make a habit of responding to every slight with overwhelming force quickly find themselves with lots of enemies. I don't want that for you. I don't want you to be bitter about life." Jean spoke earnestly and she could see the shine of unshed tears in her lover's eyes.

Jean was actually surprised when their lips met. It was sweet and slow in a way that made her close her eyes and give herself over to the act. The kiss ended all too soon and Jean found herself the subject of a gaze that nearly made her tremble from its intensity.

"I love you." Sam whispered only loud enough for her to hear. 'So much it scares me.'

* * *

On Saturday the couple decided to take an afternoon stroll in St. James' Park. It was a quiet occasion, in part due their mutual agreement that Saturday would be their rest day and Sunday their main date night. Sam rested her head against Jean's shoulder and they just walked hand in hand.

They turned a corner in the trail and Sam froze. The sudden rush of emotion caught Jean's attention and she scanned the area for any signs of a trap or ambush. When it came up clean she instead followed her lover's sightline to a teenage girl sitting on a bench further ahead. The girl had Indian features and wore a pink hoodie with black cargo pants.

"I don't think it's a trap." Jean reassured her. "But we can just go home if you want."

Sam took a long moment to analyze the scene before her, the events leading up to their being there. Eventually she shook her head, "No. I need to do this. It may not be much but she's Lav's bestie and we've all trusted her with a lot over the years. Hopefully she'll at least tell me how we were found so we can plug that hole."

As they approached the girl Jean subtly fell back a few steps. She was clearly in support of Sam, but also made it clear that, for the moment, supporting her lover was her only function in the discussion.

"Hey Parvati. I can't say I was expecting to see you any time soon." Sam said as she entered speaking distance with the girl. However she paused well away from the bench where she had room to maneuver in case a fight broke out.

"Sam. Lav knew my family had some good scrying spells and wouldn't leave me alone until I'd agreed to at least talk to you." Parvati replied. "Normally I leave the family rituals to Padma, but this one required a level of personal bond well above casual friendship. It didn't show me you, or your location or anything, just this place and time as somewhere I could meet you."

"Well, good to hear my security isn't completely compromised then. I assume Lav and Hermione have been going spare. I'd have written them, but I don't doubt the order of the fried chicken would track it back to me." Sam said. Jean noticed the girl giving her a questioning look. "That's Jean Grey, my fiancée. Jean, this is Parvati Patil. She's been my roommate for the last five years at Hogwarts."

Jean tried to give her a reassuring smile but the girl wasn't paying much attention to her anymore.

"Fiancée? What the hell, Sam? You're fifteen! How long have you even known her?" Parvati asked.

"Long enough to love her." Sam replied simply and gave Parvati an unyielding look.

The Indian girl's jaw clamped shut and for a brief moment Jean was concerned Sam was about to get slapped. "Urgh!" Parvati snarled in frustration but then calmed back down. "Fine. You're too damn stubborn for your own good, Sam, but I'll let it go this time."

"Hermione's pretty pissed at you. I can't say I blame her. After the shit that happened at end of year pretty much everyone is going spare with worry. Tonks left the country… After telling off half The Order for thinking of you as a kid. I'm not sure she likes you very much." Parvati continued.

Sam nodded, "I wasn't exactly in my right mind when I left. Tonks may have been the target of a few… regrettable curses. Nothing unforgivable, but…" She hesitated for a long moment. "In that moment, I wasn't entirely against the idea of killing her."

"Sounds to me like they're right to be worried. What were… No what _are_ you thinking with all this? I _know_ you, Sam. What the hell is so wrong you couldn't tell any of us?" Parvati asked.

Sam's face shut down entirely until no emotion showed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bullshit. You've got to talk to someone about this! Even if it's just Dumble—" Parvati went silent and took a step back at the murderous expression on Sam's face.

"DON'T LECTURE ME ABOUT KEEPING SECRETS FROM ALBUS BLOODY DUMBLEDORE!" Sam screamed. From the look on her face she could have kept going but Jean quickly pulled her into a hug and sent soothing emotions through their bond.

"Is there something we should know… Lav and Hermione, if not for me than for them. _Please_, Sam. They love you like a sister. If Albus is keeping something from us that would hurt you… You know there's no contest, right? We'd pick you. We'd always pick you." Parvati tried to reassure her.

The anger quickly bled out of Sam, but the rest of her emotions were still a maelstrom. Rather than snap back at her friend, she instead lost the strength in her legs and began sobbing in earnest. Jean quickly helped her over to the bench and motioned for Parvati to sit with them. For several minutes nobody spoke except to reassure the sobbing girl of their respect and affection for her.

"He was wrong…" She finally whispered in a hoarse voice. "Was going to make me his happy martyr but he was wrong. They're all wrong. I don't want to die… It's all useless anyways. I can't be the one to do it… Everyone's expecting me to be the one, but I'm not the one! I'm not _the one._"

Parvati thought for a moment and then sucked in a breath. "The prophecy… Dumbledore thinks you're prophesied to beat him, doesn't he? Then… You don't think it's about you?"

"No. She has some superficial trappings of the one in the prophecy, but it can't be her." Jean replied.

"That's… A lot to take in. We have to tell The Order." Parvati said.

"No, we don't. Let me finish!" Sam cut off the counter that was obviously about to come. "The last order got taken down by a spy they didn't expect. Honestly, who's really expecting anything better from the likes of Fletcher? Right now both sides are focused completely on me. If I can get out of the country… They'll have to split their forces and they _won't _be looking for the poor girl who the prophecy was really about." Sam countered.

"But… Will you be safe? In some other country, I mean." Parvati asked.

"The Institute I'm from can protect itself, even against Wizards from all I've seen." Jean reassured her. Parvati seemed to doubt it but still eventually nodded in approval. It made Jean's heart a little lighter to know that there was at least one person who truly trusted Sam in this country.

Finally Parvati gave a much more relaxed smile and got a mischievous look. "So, if you two are engaged do you have rings? Lav would tan my hide if I didn't at least get a look at them."

Sam gave an amused smile and shared a pleading glance with Jean. "All right. We're going to exchange them properly tomorrow night, but we carry them with us everywhere." Jean said. Sam grabbed her ring box from an inside pocket on her suede jacket while Jean produced hers from her purse.

Sam went first revealing the ring with black bindings. Parvati gasped at the sight of the jeweler's masterwork. "This one will go on Jean's finger."

Jean revealed the red bound member of the pair and could see the sparkle in the Indian girl's eyes as she took in the pair. "And this one will go on Sam's."

"They're incredible… You guys have to send pictures, once you're off at this Institute and all. Lav's going to be so jealous she missed seeing these in person!" Parvati gushed.

* * *

A/N: Looking back things are moving a bit more slowly than I'd thought at the time… Just bear with me as I try to get us out of Britain here.


	4. Chapter 4

Hardison Bell sat at a private booth in the Leaky Cauldron. It had already been fifteen minutes but that didn't worry him. He'd been early anyways. Still it was quite a relief when he was broken from his musings by his guest's arrival.

"Hardison, how have you been? I haven't seen you since Easter." Madam Spinnet cut a fine figure. Her curly black hair complimented her dark skin and despite being only a pair of inches short of six feet her rounded features kept her from seeming intimidating.

"Elizabeth. I suppose I've been as well as can be expected. Took on a new client a while back… They're the one I wanted your help with today." Hardison told her.

Dark eyes looked him over a long moment. "I have to admit, Hardison, I never expected you to be helping one of those lords with their little games." It may not be spread around, but most people in their fields knew that pregnant muggle mistresses were not as uncommon a problem for the pureblood lords as they would pretend it to be.

"Honestly, Elizabeth, it's almost as though you have no faith in my judgment." Hardison replied with a smirk. "I think you'll be a lot more sympathetic when you figure out who it is and what they intend to do about it. In any case, we should get going."

They didn't bother going through the Alley and took the Floo instead. While it wasn't much of a secret that Madam Spinnet occasionally came to his office, he still didn't like advertising to the whole world when her services were required.

"I'm back, Katie," Hardison informed his daughter who was acting as receptionist that day.

"Welcome back and you Madam Spinnet. It's good to see you again." Katie said with a bright smile.

"Please dear, it's Elizabeth. According to Alicia you two made quite the showing at the summer Quidditch camp." Madam Spinnet replied.

Katie shrugged, "It was fun. Honestly the team just felt incomplete without Sam, though. The beaters did a decent job, but we never seemed to get seeker that was even half the flier she was."

"Has my appointment for the afternoon shown up yet?" Hardison asked, bringing the topic back to work.

"Oh yeah, they're waiting in your office." Katie said and then looked worried, "I'd be careful though, one of them had some sort of glamour on… I'd swear I should have recognized them but I just couldn't."

Hardison chuckled, "That's about what I expected. If you'd follow me, Elizabeth?" He led the way back to his office. Their entrance caught the interest of both of the girls waiting for him. One was the same redhead he'd met the first time while the other wore a black hoodie under her jacket with the hood up. Some sort of charm obscured her face so that despite seeing it he honestly couldn't recognize… Of course he was well aware of whom it was, but he doubted Elizabeth would be.

The medwitch seemed surprised that it was two girls were waiting for them, but only gave the hooded a short glare of disapproval. "Alright dear, am I right that you're the one needing to be tested?"

"Yes," Jean said with a quick nod. "I'm already convinced, but I think we need a professional opinion on this."

Madam Spinnet nodded. "Very well dear. I'm Madam Spinnet by the way, and I'll do my utmost to make this as comfortable for you as possible. Now could you pull up your sweater so I can see your stomach?" She nodded when Jean did as instructed, "That's it. Now it'll just be a moment."

She did a short but surprisingly complicated bit of spell work, overpowering it slightly to account for the girl not having her own magic to help the spell along. Instantly a scroll of purple text appeared on the girl's stomach and Madam Spinnet nearly dropped her wand.

"Interesting. That must be a powerful little spell to do an instant paternity without any blood." Samantha Potter said as she lowered her hood and the glamour on it. "Does the color mean anything?"

Madam Spinnet gaped for a moment but abruptly dropped back into her professional demeanor at the question. "Twins, both girls. Since the color is solid their development is fine, no outstanding problems. It's too early to tell if they're magically gifted or not."

Hardison nodded. "Well seeing as the news is good we only need to wait for my wife. She's a fully certified Druid Priestess and as we have me and Elizabeth as witnesses we have everything necessary see you wed today."

The girls could only nod as they took in the news of their good fortune. Madam Spinnet shot Hardison a look that demanded explanation, his silent reply was that he'd explain later, in private.

"Mr. Bell, if I were to, in theory, speak with you after the wedding would it be possible for us to get a will drafted up today?" Sam asked.

"I suppose it would be, yes. Of course I'd have to take you on as a client at that point." Hardison told her.

"I don't foresee that being a problem," Sam told him.

A few minutes later Mrs. Bell swept into the room wearing simple white robes that swayed with her every step. Age had been kind to her sharp features and despite being the shortest woman in the room her presence filled it entirely. "Oh, my dears, my dears! It's been too many years since I last wedded two women in matrimonial bliss! It'll be a pleasure, indeed. Now jackets off, dears, and roll up your shirt sleeves you'll need bare forearms for this."

Sam and Jean quickly shed their jackets and rolled up the sleeves of their long shirts. They followed Mrs. Bell to a part of the room that had a bit more space and watched with interest as she conjured a pair of small cushions.

"Alright, now kneel down dears. Right, now left hands out and get a good grasp on each other's wrist, that's the way. Now the right hands." Mrs. Bell gave them each a beaming smile as they finally achieved the desired position. "Good. Now normally you'd each have been coached rather extensively in the vows, instead I'll be giving them to you in question form, simply respond with 'I so vow' to keep going.

"Now, we gather here as kith and kin, to witness the love and vows of these women, Samantha Rose Potter and Jean Grey. We pledge ourselves to harmonious bonding of these souls, and let those unwilling to so pledge to speak now lest they sow their greater sorrow." She spoke, evenly and with surprising authority. There was a long moment of silence as they allowed objection, but as nobody spoke she continued on, her eyes faintly glowing.

"Samantha Potter, you have been gifted by magic with a great power and even greater responsibility. Magic recognizes you as its own kin. You have been recognized as the heir of not only one but two of Merlin's own. This burden you bear, you now may share but only with your vow to hold fast. Do you vow to give all your power, all your magic and all your life to defending this woman and your children by blood or magic?"

"I so vow." Samantha replied. A thick coil of magic roiled through the air and a pair of ropes were conjured into existence binding their clasped hands together.

"Samantha Potter, do you vow to love this woman, in sickness, health, poverty and plenty? Do you vow to place her first amongst your orders and priorities? Do you vow to hold her in your heart till death lays thou or her to rest?"

"I so vow." Sam replied looking Jean directly in the eye. This time a green rope appeared binding all of their wrists together.

"Jean Grey, do you vow to love this woman, in sickness, health, poverty and plenty? Do you vow to place her first amongst your orders and priorities? Do you vow to hold her in your heart till death lays thou or her to rest?"

"I so vow." Jean replied. A golden rope slid down their arms and wound around their combined arms several times.

"Then let it be witnessed before men and magic that henceforth shall they be two no longer but one soul, united in purpose and love. On this day these two are declared wed and let none but death dare to tread upon this bond." Mrs. Bell's voice was rising in volume and intensity but her next words carried the suffocating weight of ancient magic as she spoke them. "_So mote it be_."

In an instant the magic in the room collapsed onto their conjoined hands. The first rope sunk into their skin leaving only the light blue of wode behind to mark its passing. Meanwhile the green rope slithered around their wrists like a snake, thrashing and casting about. Finally its two end met their engagement rings and it was torn in half with each half being absorbed into the nearest ring.

The gold rope was the last to transform, once again it split in half but this time the two ends slowly took shape. One half became thin and hard as it reduced into a golden circlet, the other was thick and twisted around on itself until it became a golden torc.

"Samantha, place the circlet on your wife's head." Mrs. Bell ordered, somewhat breathlessly. Samantha followed the instructions and couldn't help a slight smile when the circlet fit perfectly. "Jean, place the torc around your wife's neck." This time it was Jean who complied, marveling at the intricate carving she could feel as she manipulated the length of gold into place.

"Now… A kiss shall seal your vows." The short witch declared.

The girls leaned in and kissed each other passionately, seemingly unaware of the world around themselves. A silver mist gathered behind Samantha until it took the form of a phoenix. Its mere presence filled the room with happiness and love, and then it began to sing. Hardison never knew such bliss before in his life. When the kiss ended it disappeared in a shower of silver light.

"My god, such a powerful patronus... Without even using a wand!" Hardison whispered. Beside him Elizabeth was in tears at the beauty of the sight. His wife was still literally glowing with the magic of the ritual.

Samantha leaned into Jean's shoulder for a long moment and then finally stood and faced Hardison. "Mr. Bell, I believe it's about time I formally became your client."

"Right… Right!" He nodded. "We'd best get started if we want you as prepared as possible before you head off to the colonies."

* * *

"That's Grimmauld Place up there, yeah?" Sam asked the driver.

"Yeah, it's a mite dreary mind you." The cab driver replied with a thick York accent.

"Great, then just drop us off here, if you would." Sam ordered. She pulled out a pair of twenty pound notes and slipped them to the driver, "Keep the change, right."

"Right, good on you then," He waited for them to get out and then made a u turn to return to his route.

Sam shrugged off the backpack she was wearing and pulled out her invisibility cloak. "This should do us so long as we're careful. Still you might want to discourage anyone from investigating any odd sounds and the like."

"I can handle that," Jean agreed. "You're sure this bag will be enough though?" She motioned to the old fashioned satchel bag resting against her hip.

"Endlessly expanding and constant weight, unless we catch a curse with it then we should be fine." Sam replied. She wrapped the cloak about them but there wasn't quite enough room. They pressed their bodies together and Sam couldn't help her breath hitching at the contact. "Not quite… I've got an idea, turn around."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this?" Jean asked but turned her back towards her anyways.

Sam grabbed Jean's shoulders and leaped up and wrapped her legs around Jean's waist.

"Oof… Couldn't you have reduced your own weight first?" Jean asked. Despite her grumblings she still grabbed Sam's thighs and helped her adjust to a more comfortable position.

"That would be like you holding yourself up with your powers. Possible, but way more tiring than it should be." Sam told her. "Look, we fit fine now!"

"Hold on tight." Jean told her and started down the road towards their destination. As she got closer she sent a mental update to her wife, 'There are two people watching the property from outside. I can't see them so they're probably invisible. I only sense one person in the house itself.'

'They must not have figured out who the new owner is yet. As soon as they know it's me they'll move back in entirely.' Sam replied.

'One of the people watching the house is definitely a Death Eater.' Jean told her.

'Damn. We'll have to do something about him on our way out. This is going to get messy.' Sam mused. 'Not to mention the Order member will know the secret of the house's location. We'll need to be careful to keep them from noticing the door.'

'I can handle that,' Jean reminded her.

They quickly made their way to the door and paused just in front of it. 'Wait for it…' Jean instructed. 'Now!'

Sam was barely aware of Jean's power spiking slightly as she created a mental ghost sound to catch the watcher's attention. She opened the door immediately on command and they barreled through in the same instant. The door closing echoed loudly in the silence of the interior.

'Stay hidden.' Sam commanded as she slid off of Jean's back and out from under the cloak. 'We need to get to the floo!'

They rushed through the rooms to the fireplace. "Stupefy!" Sam shouted as she dove into the receiving room barely avoiding a yellow curse. A burst of red light sped towards the dark figure who had been about to make a floo call. It didn't hit him but it did force him to dive for cover and away from the floo fireplace.

"Potter! You arrogant brat, what's the meaning of this?" Severus Snape called from his hiding place.

"Sorry, Snape but I can't let you call in the Order just yet." Sam called back. Jean slid carefully around the furniture trying to get a better position on Snape.

"That's Professor Snape to you, Potter!" Snape snapped. "Now cease this foolishness at once!"

"Not today _professor_!" Sam shouted and cast a banishing curse at his cover. Snape nimbly avoided and sprung to his feet to cast a counter curse. His wand leapt from his fingers and he found himself immobilized a few inches off the ground. A stupefy finished the job and Jean gently lowered him to the floor.

"All clear." Jean reported and removed the invisibility cloak. Sam took the cloak and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"That won't keep him down too long. We need to get to the library." Sam said and led the way up the stairs. Once they'd reached the library level Jean prepared herself but her wife's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Not this one. I'm leaving this for Hermoine." Sam told her and started walking towards the back wall. "Oh, by the way, the Black Library has a second room."

In a single mind-bending moment a door that Jean could have sworn didn't exist suddenly grew into place on the back wall. "That's… Very odd."

"The Blacks invented the fidelius charm. That's part of why people were so ready to believe Sirius was the secret keeper. Nobody believed he would have shared one of the Black family's best guarded secrets with anyone, much less an unimpressive wizard like Pettigrew." Sam said in a hushed tone as they approached the door. "It's a whole extra dimension to his betrayal as well. Now Voldemort knows one of the most effective privacy and home defense spells ever invented."

Jean gave her wife a searching look. There wasn't any sign of depression over the link, rather anticipation. Then the door opened and her breath was stolen at the sight.

"Welcome to the real Black Family library." Sam said and took her hand, drawing her into the enormous room. The last room was the kind of library you might expect in your average mansion. This room was more like a small warehouse full of books.

"So many…" Jean murmured in a hushed tone. It just seemed disrespectful to speak to loud in the book filled space.

'Get the bag open, we don't have long to pack all of these away.' Sam took charge.

Jean opened the bag and set it on the floor. They each used their gifts to levitate streams of books into the bag. Even setting their pace at far beyond that of mere humans it barely dented the enormous collection of books before them. Nonetheless they carried on.

When they'd finally reached the halfway point, Jean looked up and swore. "We've got company. At least eight of them."

"Damn. They may not be able to find us in here, but it's going to be much harder getting back out now." Sam mentally swore to herself but didn't stop levitating books into the bag. "Are Hermione and Lavender among them?"

"No… At least not yet. They haven't moved too far from the floo yet so I think they're waiting for more." Jean replied.

They worked in silence for another fifteen minutes or so before Jean snapped her head around. "They're here. The adults are searching room by room but they're keeping your friends in the dining room."

"Alright, once it seems they've been given free run we'll need to get them to the library." Sam told her.

"Are you going to tell them your plans?" Jean asked.

"Some of them," She shook her head. "I think I'll get them to contact Susan Bones. If I don't miss my guess Mrs. Longbottom will try to bring her into the fold first. This should minimize the chance of security breach if someone reads their mind."

Jean nodded and turned her focus back to moving the books.

"Hermione's settled in to the library, but Lavender is still downstairs," Jean reported. Sam nodded in acknowledgement but just kept working. A few minutes later Jean updated another change, "They're together in the library, and nobody is coming up for them."

Sam sent the last few books she was levitating into the bag and ceased her wand work. "Great. I'll be back in a few minutes with guests." She pulled out the invisibility cloak and stalked towards the door.

She left the door to the secret library open as she softly padded over towards her best friends.

"I feel useless here!" Lavender complained as Hermione slung a sisterly arm around her shoulder. "You can at least do research. I just get the occasional reminder that Sam's not here. They won't even tell me what's going on with the war!"

"I know! I can't use my research for anything but side projects like my endlessly expanding bag. It's nice but nothing like proper training. I swear to god, I miss the DA so much right now!" Hermione groused along with her.

Sam couldn't help a slight smile at their complaints. Maybe she could help them more than she'd thought. She made sure she was positioned far enough away that they probably wouldn't jump when she appeared, but directly within their sight line. A finger placed against her mouth signaled for silence as she opened the cloak just enough to reveal her face to her friends.

Hermione and Lavender gaped for a whole second, but kept silent. They quickly looked to the still open doorway to the library to be sure they weren't being watched and then quietly padded their way over to Sam's position.

"It's _so_ _good_ to see you!" Hermione whispered excitedly. "What are you doing here?"

"God, Sam, you just can't keep out of trouble for five minutes, can you?" Lav added in a hushed tone.

"I need you two to trust me. Take my hands and close your eyes." Sam whispered to them. "I'll explain what I can soon, but not here." Her friends gave each other skeptical looks but closed their eyes and held out their hands anyways. She smiled and grabbed their hands, gently pulling them into the secret library where they wouldn't be interrupted.

The sound of the door closing made them jump and open their eyes. Immediately they both gasped in stereo.

"You should have seen it when we got here. Most of these shelves were still full!" Sam told them.

"What is this place?" Hermione asked as she took in the mass of empty shelves.

"The Blacks kept a lot in the main library, but they were an extremely paranoid lot. The books here were largely from families they destroyed over the years but also several of the Black family's most secret tomes. I'm fairly certain the book for the Fidelius charm was in here somewhere." Sam told them and quickly led them deeper into the room. They came around a blind corner in the shelves and found Jean still filling the bag using her telekinesis. "Hermione, Lav, this is my wife Jean."

"Wife? You're still fifteen!" Hermione protested while Lav openly examined Jean.

"And I was seconds from death at twelve. Your point?" Sam brushed off the concern. She honestly didn't understand why everyone got so hung up on her age.

Hermione huffed and gave her an admonishing glare, but Lav sidled around them and put her hand out to Jean. "Lavender Brown. That lout's bestie and oathsister, I just want to extend my condolences. She will definitely drive you insane, with worry if nothing else."

Jean chuckled and took the offered hand. "I can tell. She gets a bit impulsive at times. Still… She's beautiful, inside and out. I wouldn't trade her for the world."

Lavender beamed at Jean and then turned to Sam. "I like her. So was all of this about you running off and eloping?" She asked with a slight sigh that revealed how romantic she found the idea.

"No, not really… I was just… I was scared, and confused. I learned some things that really pissed me off followed soon thereafter by some things that just completely obliterated any hope I had of surviving this war." Sam told them while looking at the ground, painful memories slowly replaying through her mind.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "How could you not think you'd survive this?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. At this point we're all screwed if either Dumbledore or Voldemort figure out what I know." Sam spoke emphatically. "I need your help, but I just can't risk them figuring this…" She trailed off and ran over to the bag of books. "Accio Grimoire of Fidelius!" She barely twitched her wand before the book in question shot out of the bag and into her open hand.

"I need to get this set up, be right back." Sam said and hustled off to another part of the room, leaving Jean and her friends alone.

"So… You three have been together awhile?" Jean asked, hoping to break the ice.

"Since first year!" Lavender told her. "I met Sam on the train. That Halloween there was a troll in the castle and Billius had worked Hermione up to a good cry in the girl's toilets so she didn't hear the news. Sam and I found her trapped in by the troll but we managed to disable it."

Hermione snorted, "Oh the both of you did? I seem to remember you screaming and running about."

"Of course," Lavender said with a big smile, "I distracted it."

Hermione turned her attention to the books that Jean was still piling into the bag. "Are you a witch? You don't really feel like it, if you don't mind me saying."

Jean shook her head, "I'm a mutant, a telekinetic mostly though with some telepathy."

Lavender scrunched her nose up, "A tele-what?" She looked to Hermione for an explanation.

The brunette gave her blond companion a scowl, "Don't play dumb, you may not know what it is but you remember the word perfectly. I know you better than that."

Lavender sighed, "Fine, oh wise one, please enlighten me as to what _telekinetic_ means."

"It means moving objects with your mind, and in particular without magic." Hermione told her.

"Oh! That's rather awesome!" Lavender exclaimed. "How much can you lift at once? Does shape matter?"

Jean smiled and shrugged, "I haven't found my exact upwards limit. My powers matured a great deal recently and we haven't got a good handle on my new boundaries. I used to be able to lift a car for maybe a minute or so, but now I don't think it would tax me too much to lift a bus for the same time frame."

Lavender whistled. "That's a lot…"

"And you're telepathic?" Hermione asked.

"But nowhere near as strong in it and I hold myself back whenever possible. For the most part I just hear surface thoughts people may be broadcasting loudly or some basic emotions. I try not to pay any attention to it usually, but sometimes it's just too hard to not listen." Jean said.

Hermione nodded but Lavender cut in, "Wait, how do thoughts have volume?"

"I suppose intensity of concentration on the thought, and how many other thoughts you have crowding it out." Jean grimaced, "Okay, you've got it. Now will you please stop, that's not an exactly pleasant sound."

"Hey, I like the Hobgoblins!" Lavender shot back affronted only to get a light poke in the ribs from Hermione. "Alright, it's stopped, it's stopped!"

"What's stopped?" Sam said wandering back over to them. She seemed slightly paler and she was holding the grimoire with a rather shaky hand.

"Lav was subjecting Jean to the hobgoblins by the power of thought, apparently." Hermione filled her in.

"What? Eww! Do you know how hard it is to forget that once you've heard it? I swear that music haunted my sleep for weeks!" Sam scolded her oath sister.

"But they gave you lots of dreams, right?" Lavender pressed.

"More like nightmares… Anyways, I need you two to promise me that you won't take any of what I've told you to Dumbledore. Sister's promise." Sam said, her face become deathly serious.

Hermione and Lavender looked at each other for a moment but then nodded together. They locked arms so that each of the three of them were grabbing one of the other's wrists. "Sister's promise!" They shouted in unison. A brief glow of pale green surrounded them to show that magic had accepted the extension of their sisterly oaths.

Sam nodded and looked a bit steadier. "I'm holding a letter sealed by the Potter family seal." She told them and suddenly the letter appeared between her fingers and the grimoire. The letter was quickly passed to Hermione but Sam didn't let go until she got in her warning, "Don't open that here. Go back to Lav's place. It'll tell you what you need to know from there. Once you're finished with it toss it in the trash in muggle London, nobody will ever be able to find it again at that point."

"And this will answer everything?" Hermione asked in a hushed tone.

"Absolutely everything." Sam assured her. She looked around the library and frowned at the mass of tomes still remaining. "Mind helping me pack this away?"

Hermione paused, "Are you going to take the main library too?"

"Absolutely not. I'm leaving it here for you… I actually bequeathed it to you in my will, but for now I think you should just feel free to read whatever you wish so long as the book isn't actively cursed." Sam told her.

Hermione beamed, "Right then! Let's get to work shall we!"

Half an hour later they'd managed to get every book they could see packed into the indomitable satchel. As they looked around proudly at their accomplishment, they all nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard the sound of a book hitting the floor. They all turned but only Sam could see the shelves it had fallen from.

"Where did that come from?" Lavender asked.

"The restricted shelves." Sam whispered and wandered over to check on the book in question. It was free of charms and curses itself, though there was spell residue from something highly deadly on its spine. She picked the book up and leafed through its pages to get a general idea of its contents. Seconds later her face became deathly pale.

"What is it?" Hermione asked quietly while Jean gently restrained the girls from approaching her wife.

"The journal… From second year. I know what it is now…" Samantha gulped and set the book on the floor once again and began a very long chant with a great deal of wand work. After almost twenty minutes of uninterrupted spell-casting the book disappeared and Sam fell to one knee in an exhausted haze.

All three girls closed in on her and helped her get to a more stable position to rest. Lavender conjured a few cushions while Hermione conjured a light blanket. None of them even remembered the book.

"So evil…" Sam murmured as the most important women in her life comforted her.

"What is it, Sam? What's evil?" Hermione asked.

"There is a book about Horcruxes in this room." She told them shakily. Almost instantly they all turned to face the book. A silent conversation passed between them before Hermione finally broke off from the group to pick up the book. She quickly skimmed a few pages before going as white as Sam.

"That's how he stayed alive… But we destroyed… No. That's just too evil…" Hermione trailed off as her skin took a distinctly green tint.

"It's charmed so you can't tell anyone about it, but this is deathly important for all of us. Nobody can know about that book or its contents. _Nobody_. Keep it somewhere safe, not on your persons. You'll know what to do about it after you read my letter." Sam told them. She gave a forced smile, "I know you'll figure this out Hermione. You always do."

Hermione nodded and swallowed a lump in her throat. "I will. I promise."

"They've reduced the guard in the house. So long as we're quiet I think we can get to the floo without them realizing we're here. Especially if Hermione and Lavender can run interference with the younger people." Jean informed them and received nods of assent from the girls.

"Good." Sam said and shakily got to her feet. "I'll be back some day, Hermione, Lav. I'm not leaving you forever. But right now I've got to go my own way for a while. Read the letter, it'll explain everything I couldn't."

All of them took a deep breath and then moved out. When Sam and Jean flooed to the Leaky Cauldron nobody was even there to notice the flames.

* * *

Sam stared out the window of the plane and tried to keep from gripping the armrests too tight. The height wasn't a problem, though it was certainly much higher than she'd ever been by broom. Rather she was so used to being in control during flight that she just couldn't turn off her instincts which kept screaming at her to find a softer air current every time the plane shuddered slightly.

"Scott had the same problem after learning to fly the Blackbird," Jean told her and gave her arm a gentle rub. "It does go away eventually."

Sam nodded and gave her wife a slight smile while trying to bank the flame of her raging instincts. "I'm sure it will… Still it would have been nice if I'd eased into this a little. You know took something slightly shorter than an intercontinental for my first time out."

"Oh well, I suppose I can always just kip off for a bit." Sam said. At Jean's look of incomprehension she groaned. "Take a nap."

"Ah. Yeah, these seats are comfortable enough for it." Jean agreed.

Sam leaned back and closed her eyes for a long time, willing sleep to come. Unfortunately no matter how she tried she just couldn't relax enough to go under. Finally she stopped fighting and opened her eyes. It was pure chance she was turned towards Jean at that moment, but contentment flowed through her veins as she took in her wife reading a novel.

Her eyes roved over the athletic redhead appreciating each of her features, from her sexy muscle tone to her enchanting eyes and _everything_ in between. Still her eyes inevitably drifted to her lover's toned stomach, the tight coil of muscles hidden beneath her baggy shirt and the most precious thing in the world hidden deep beneath even the muscles.

"I turn sixteen tomorrow." Sam mused aloud.

"Hmm? We'll have to see about doing something special then," Jean replied.

"Nah, I think I'd rather just stay in. It'll be my first birthday with family. That's much better than any party or celebration." Sam told her.

Jean smiled at her but remained silent.

"Would you read to me?" Sam asked.

Jean thought for a moment and then nodded. She put her current novel away and pulled out a new one. 'Savvy Ways book one. Cannon fire lit the fog as I strained my eyes to see the silhouette of ships in the mire. In this fog the melee to our port was our only warning that a privateer was near.' Her mental voice purred across their connection.

Sam smiled. She settled back into her chair to watch her lover read and finally relaxed.

* * *

A/N: I briefly debated making Victor Krum take over the roll and powers of Colossus, but a quick consultation of a map proved Bulgaria to be far south of where I'd thought it would be. Realizing the rather significant problem this posed, a solution soon occurred to me. I think the Rasputin siblings will still fill a nice gap between the two universes.

How?

You'll just have to wait and see. ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼


	5. Chapter 5

Jean smiled as she felt Sam drink in her first sight of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Even living in a castle two-thirds of the year didn't render her completely immune to feeling awe at the size of the institute. For a brief second she opened their connection and saw the neoclassical mansion she'd called home through new eyes. It took her breath away all over again.

They shared a private smile before Jean dialed the link back down to manageable levels. She kept it open enough to identify the few students wandering around the front lawn for her wife.

Rahne was a new student from Scotland, she'd only been at the school a month before Jean had left for England. She was of course sticking close to her recent crush Roberto who had come from Rio De Janeiro only a week before her arrival. Jean actually didn't recognize the two girls that were sitting on the opposite lawn from Rahne and Roberto.

The driver finally pulled to a stop outside the front doors. All three of the London group, Kitty, Logan and Professor Xavier, were there as well as Ororo and Scott. Sam waved off the driver's offer of assistance with their bags and gave him a good tip once they were sure they had everything. Jean could feel Sam's apprehension spiking, but there was nothing they could do now but face the music.

"Welcome to the Institute, Samantha. I'm pleased you decided to join us." The Professor said easily. "You've met Kitty and Logan. These are Ororo Munroe, one of our teachers, and Scott Summers, one our longest standing students aside from Jean."

Sam took each of their hands in turn, "Jean's told me a lot about you, all of you." She tried to make certain that came across as a compliment, though the reality was more complicated than that. "If you don't mind Professor, I think it would be best if Jean and I met with the staff for a tick before I get too settled in."

"Is there a problem?" Scott asked earnestly. It would have been endearing if Sam hadn't just stated that it was none of his business.

"Just some orders of business is all. I'm sure you'll hear plenty about it later." Sam replied keeping her tone only politely cutting.

"Yes, I'm sure we'll have a great deal to go over." Professor Xavier said. 'Such as your choice of jewelry.' He broadcast silently to Jean making her grimace. They'd decided not to hide their rings on account of the fact that they could just explain they were engaged until Sam was eighteen. Sam even wore her torque openly, though Jean decided to forgo wearing the circlet outside of formal functions.

"Scott, if you wouldn't mind informing Dr. McCoy that we are having a meeting of all the teachers in the sitting room. Kitty, I'm sure the others are quite curious about our newest resident. I'd appreciate if you could convince them to remain patient until we've sorted everything out." Xavier said. Once the two teens had split off the rest of the group made the short trek to the room in question.

For the first time, Jean herself began to feel apprehensive. These were people she respected. She'd worked damned hard to live up to the Professor's expectations. Could she really bear with it if they no longer respected her?

In an instant the anxiety Sam had been fighting against was tamped down so thoroughly that for a second Jean thought it was gone completely. A physical bump of Sam's shoulder made Jean glance at her wife. She nearly stumbled at the resolute expression facing her. 'Let me be the bad guy.' Sam sent her.

Jean smiled but shook her head. 'We're in this together.' Despite her words she could still feel Sam's determination and the diamond hard edge of her sense of loyalty.

The sitting room somehow felt more ominous than it ever had before, even with the large window letting in plenty of sun. Sam and Jean had taken the couch on one side while Ororo took the opposite couch. Logan took to holding the wall up behind the couch and the Professor wheeled over to the window to look out over the front lawns. The sight of the lawns reminded Jean to make a psychic check for eavesdroppers which thankfully came up blank.

Hank's entrance a few minutes later drew all eyes to his obvious embarrassment. "Ah, I appear to be fashionably late." The eloquent chemist observed and moved to take a seat next to Ororo. Despite Sam's surprise and fascination blooming loud and clear over the link, she managed to give the blue furred man no more attention than was polite.

Jean caught Sam's eyes as the girl looked to her for strength. The instant ended as Sam slowly drew her wand. "Magic…" She said as she wordlessly shrunk one of the nearby chairs and summoned it into her left hand. A few lightning quick flicks of her wand and there were four chairs which became small Chihuahua like dogs in the color of the upholstery. The dogs raced across the room and came to heel, one in front of each teacher. "Is real."

"What Sam just did is _not_ a product of the X-gene. From what I've been able to gather, the magical branch of humanity split off much earlier and is a much more stable mutation." Jean told them.

"Assuming it is a mutation at all." Sam cut in. "Ever since I found out about my mutation I've been thinking about it a great deal. It could also be an energy parasite or a spell created by a non-human species that simply has a large weighting on family in the criteria."

The reactions around the room varied by quite a bit. Logan looked at the dog at his feet and wrinkled his nose in distaste but said nothing. Ororo had actually picked up her dog and was petting its maroon fur. Hank was examining the dog but also seemed very interested in their theories. Xavier was the most inscrutable of all. "I assume this is not something you'd like to advertise?" He asked.

"It's illegal to share the secret at the moment. You're Jean's guardians before everything else so I've been given express permission to tell you this. The rest of the students, however, are not to know." Sam replied.

"Fascinating. I hope you can spare some time to allow me to study your abilities. It may help us more fully understand mutants and perhaps humanity in general." Dr. McCoy remarked.

Sam gave him a slight nod and then took Jean's hand in her own and summoned up her courage. "Jean and I are engaged." Xavier and Logan took this in stride having already guessed. Ororo seemed completely dumbfounded while Dr. McCoy's look said he had misgivings. "On the night we first met we developed some sort of psychic bond. From there attraction quickly grew into love, so we're going to make it official as soon as it is legal to do so."

Jean couldn't quite help the nervous glance she shot the professor. What they were saying may be true for the non-magical world, but it was still a half truth. They hadn't even gotten to the real hard part yet and if Xavier called them out on this it was certain to get ugly.

"You're quite certain about this?" Ororo asked. "You are both rather young for such a commitment."

Sam's grip on her hand tightened. "Very," She replied.

Jean picked up from here despite feeling that Sam was about to press on. This she wanted to tell them herself. "I'm pregnant."

This time Logan was the only the one not shocked and he still raised a questioning eyebrow. "WHAT? When did this happen?" Ororo asked. "Who is the father?"

"Indeed, this is a most unexpected development. Please tell me it isn't Duncan's! That would be rather… distressing." Dr. McCoy said.

"No, they aren't Duncan's. They're Sam's." Jean told them. "It'll be four weeks in two days."

The explosion of worry, concern and outrage were suffocating. She wanted to break down into sobs but instead her mind fled to the only safety near at hand, Sam's mind. It was an incredibly disorienting moment as they changed from two minds thinking in parallel to Sam controlling both bodies while Jean's entire world reduced down to only their thoughts and feelings.

'What did I just do?' Jean thought worriedly as she floated in an ocean of pure emotion listening to pure thought.

'What you needed to.' Sam replied adjusting quickly to the change. Her anger felt like scalding waves to Jean's limited senses yet it wasn't unpleasant. Like a hot shower can be uncomfortable for the skin but pleasantly relaxing for the muscles underneath. The sense of love, of knowing that the anger wasn't at her but for her helped to soften the knots of tension plaguing her psyche.

However as she relaxed her attention quickly turned outward. While Sam may have adapted to the change in circumstance gracefully, Jean could easily sense the immense strain it placed on her. With training they could probably do this for hours at a time, but right now even the minute or so Jean had been out of touch was exhausting to her wife. It made her glow inside to realize that Sam was actually trying to hide that from her.

A quick glance at their shared memories allowed her to reconnect with her own body and not miss a beat in the conversation. "Because she may not have that kind of time." Jean replied to Ororo's last question.

"Jean?" Ororo asked, uncertainly. "What do you mean?"

She nodded and squeezed Sam's hand. 'Rest for a bit, I'll take it from here.' "I'm sorry about that. We haven't had time to explore the connection very much recently. It's all very new to both of us." She addressed the first question.

"There's a war about to break out in magical Britain. It's the same war we face here in reverse, but much more immediate and bloody. Sam and I agree, we can't run forever. It's wrong to just roll over and let the bigots have their way, but it's also wrong to expect a school-girl to fight to the death… _to be a martyr_ without ever having had a chance to live. So we'll stay here, at least until the twins are born, but hopefully until we've both finished high school… Then we're going back." Jean told them.

"I see. If that is your position then I respect it." Professor Xavier said.

Ororo gave him an angry look, "But Profess—"

"No, Ororo. While I do not think of the X-Men as soldiers they may, at any time, find themselves in the center of a war. I have asked no less of those who have worn our uniform." He told her quietly. "If the institute can give you the peace you seek then I welcome you to it… But I make no guarantees. We have our own enemies, our own problems. I cannot save you from the world, but I will do what I can."

"You gave me a warning and let me decide. That's all I really ask for." Sam said quietly as she ran a hand through her hair. Jean could see the faint lines of strain and the tension in her neck muscles and she felt a pang of guilt. Reassurance and strength of will immediately flooded across the connection.

'I am curious, though, what you mean by saying that she is expected to become a martyr?' Professor Xavier mentally asked. Sam's experience with the bond allowed her to respond non-verbally as well.

'The… _man_ at the center of the conflict, the self-styled Dark Lord Voldemort… Well, he researched a great deal of the darker side of magic. A great deal that would have been better left forgotten…' Sam was quiet for a long moment. 'In order to increase his lifespan he split his soul into pieces and sealed those pieces into objects so that if he died their existence would anchor his soul to the world of the living.'

Sam leaned back, 'In order for the ritual to take place it requires the murder of an innocent, usually a child. When he attacked my home while I was still an infant… For some reason I survived, but, and I've only figured this out myself a few days ago, because he was already prepared to use me to create a new one I wound up with a piece of his soul inside my head…'

'Now this is very obscure magic, with almost nothing recorded on how to counter it outside of overwhelming destructive force.' Sam told them. 'When I started putting the pieces together, things that didn't make much sense about how I was raised and treated suddenly made frightening amounts of sense. I believe, fundamentally, that the man who is currently expected to lead the opposition to Voldemort _wants_ me to die. He knows what was in my head, knows what it would take for wizards to destroy it. The war won't end until we're both dead in his eyes… So I was ritually prepared to be offered up to the slaughter.'

'And is this still…' Xavier asked in a quiet voice.

'No,' Jean replied immediately, 'I completely annihilated it as soon as Sam and I bonded. Magic may have some options for telepathy but compared to myself or the Professor it's not especially strong.'

'I see… And you have told the man who is acting as your leader as much?' Xavier asked.

'No.' Sam replied, the firmest she'd been all conversation.

The room calmed somewhat as they let everything sink in. Jean could feel Sam and Xavier continuing their mental conversation but more subdued and quietly. Mostly now they were talking about her lordship and managing estates. Xavier readily agreed to tutor her in the subject.

"Sam's magical education didn't include any of the traditional school topics. She'll need tutoring in those subjects if she's going to attend Bayville High." Jean told them.

"I would be happy to assist in that capacity," Dr. McCoy said. "While I may be somewhat biased in my assertion, I believe it will be relatively easy for me to ground the subjects to important matters in your own life. I've found a personal stake in a subject does wonders for learning."

Sam nodded, "Thank you. I'll do my best to meet your expectations."

"I believe we are finished here for the time being." Professor Xavier said, "I will leave it up to the two of you whether or not to inform the other children of your changed circumstances. However I'm sure you're aware that you have a rather strictly enforced time limit before nature takes it out of your hands. Oh, and please, return the chair to its original condition if possible."

They nodded and stood. Sam easily returned the chair to its original form and position but had to put some real effort into vanishing the duplicated dogs. As they headed towards the exit, a strong hand gripped Sam's shoulder so suddenly that Jean felt a sympathetic pressure through the link. "You're coming with me. We need to figure out just what it is that you can do aside from making chair dogs." Logan said gruffly and physically steered Sam towards the elevator that would take them to the danger room.

* * *

Tonks looked at the small café her next meeting was in and sighed. She wasn't even certain what the job was, but hopefully it beat the entry level positions that seemed her most likely destiny here in Perth. Not that she would be too broken up about being a shop clerk… She just didn't want to give up on being more just yet.

As she entered a blond twenty something picked up a menu and practically bounced over to her. "What can I get for ya?"

"Uh… Reservations for Adler?" Tonks said uncertainly. She hadn't really had much experience with eating out anywhere fancier than a fast food joint.

The blond cocked her head as though she were recalling something and then smiled and nodded. "After me please." The girl led her to a small booth towards the back of the café. "Here's your plus one Irene. Let me know when you're ready to order, right sure!"

Tonks slipped in across from the sunglasses wearing woman. To her surprise the woman didn't seem to be looking at her at least judging from the position of the glasses. Actually it made her nervous. "Should I just go ahead and order or…" She blushed as soon as she'd spoken. Mentally she berated herself for acting like such an ignoramus.

"Please. Our discussion can wait until after the meal." Irene said and waved down the waitress so they could order their food. Tonks was careful not to order anything too expensive, but still the meal was good. Whoever they had working the kitchen had some talent at least.

"Ms. Tonks, it isn't very often that an auror retires so young. May I ask what motivated the decision on your part?" Irene asked once the food was gone and only their tea remained.

"I didn't want to be a hired thug… Anyone's hired thug. I became an auror with the best of intentions, but the reality was that helping people and putting away dark wizards was pretty much the exact opposite of what the ministry wanted." Tonks told her. "I tried more… Independent work, but ultimately it was the same bull from a different direction."

"I see… So it was not the work itself that you had problems with?" Irene asked.

"No, ma'am. I rather liked the grunt work in fact. More getting stuff done, less political bull getting in the way." Tonks assured her.

Irene reached down to her large purse and withdrew a manila envelope. She slid it towards Tonks but didn't wait to see if she'd pick it up. "There are contact details for a friend of mine in there. She's in Australia for a few weeks to acquire something from a local Hydra base. I've already been made aware she is recruiting for the operation so you should have no problem securing a position."

The blind woman leaned back, "The majority of the paperwork is a license from the ICW allowing you to use your metamorphmagus skills in public. You are not authorized to use wand magic or reveal the secret of our world… How you bridge that gap is frankly up to you."

Tonks hesitated slightly before picking up the paperwork. The sudden good fortune just made her even more paranoid. "Thanks… But what's in it for you?"

Irene smiled, "I'm investing in your future skills. I have an adopted daughter in America that will soon need far more support than I alone can give. When you have seasoned and matured you will make a fine protector for the girl."

Tonks raised an eyebrow, but decided not to push her good fortune. It didn't sound like that bad of a gig… Unusual training period aside. "What's the name of this friend of yours? And how can I convince her I really did talk to you?"

Irene smiled, "She goes by Domino. If she asks for proof then tell her… That I have a lead on the location of Seven. Hiring you is my price for that information."

Tonks hesitated for a moment but finally shook her head. It was none of her business, at least not yet. "Thanks. I'll let you know when I've got the job." She told Irene and received a nod of agreement.

Long after Tonks had left Irene Adler sat at the same booth drinking her tea. Finally she spoke, mostly to herself, but wishing her words could reach another. "Forgive an old woman her meddling, Raven… But I want to see more of your smile before I'm gone."

* * *

Sam leaned forwards in the tub to let Jean have unrestricted access to her muscles. 'Even my vocal chords hurt…'

"Yeah… The tests for voice activated powers tend to be… It's just very common that an extreme is needed for activation." Jean comforted her as she carefully massaged her lover's body. Any other time this would have been a fairly erotic situation for them, but Sam was too exhausted to keep her aches and pains to herself.

'Were the laser batteries really necessary?' Sam asked with a childish pout.

"You did the best with the laser batteries! What do you have to complain about?" Jean shot back. Honestly, nobody liked the laser batteries but even the super-agile people like Kurt at least took a shot or two from them.

'They were murder on my thighs. I didn't even know I _had_ half the muscles that are hurting there now.' Sam whined. Jean smirked and slid into a slightly more focused state of mind. Concentrating on Sam's thighs and especially the burning pain leaking through the bond, she molded her telekinesis into invisible hands which she used to massage her thigh muscles as well.

'Oooh… Feels good…' Sam mentally muttered. 'So who do you think has it right, Logan or Xavier?'

"Oh, I think they're both right for different reasons." Jean said. "While you do seem to have some super-agility, I think it's mostly the probability manipulation. The Telepathy is a whole second power set and I really think it's a product of both magic and mutation."

'Huh… What makes you say that?' Sam asked, gaining a bit of energy as her curiosity peaked.

"Well, magic isn't completely devoid of telepathy. In fact it uses it fairly often from what you've seen. However the _way _it uses it tends to be very different. For instance it usually either senses for something like intent, or its part of a larger binding. I think your exposure to the fidelius which bonded with you, and actively mucked about in your mind, convinced your infant brain that _that_ was how telepathy was _supposed_ to work. Your magic simply enforced it." Jean explained.

'And now I'm the amazing bonding woman… Joy.' Sam deadpanned earning a small laugh from Jean.

Putting on a more serious expression, Jean gathered Sam into her with a hug. "It also probably saved your life. From what you've told me the Killing Curse is probably a very strong psychic attack wrapped up in a spell. I don't doubt you'd bonded with at least your mother by then… So with the sudden loneliness of their deaths and the strange attack you latched on to the nearest mind in fear and by instinct redirected the attack back through the bond you'd just made."

Sam was silent for a long moment. 'You've been looking at that memory again haven't you…'

"Yes." Jean confirmed without hesitation. "She's your mother, Sam. I love her too, just as you did. I don't think it was her that saved you though…" Now Jean was quiet for a long moment. 'Sorry.'

Sam shook her head. 'It's okay. It explains _so_ much.' A bitter smile crossed her face. 'But now I really _am_ the girl-who-lived… That _sucks_.'

"We need to get out soon and head to dinner. They'll probably mob you for details so keep that in mind… And try to reign in your typical reaction. To them you aren't famous, just new. All most of them really want from you is a chance to find another friend." Jean told her.

Sam nodded, but felt apprehensive anyways. It was easy to tell herself something intellectually. That didn't necessarily mean that she'd be able to keep it in mind the whole time. Oh well… In any case it was time to face the firing squad.

* * *

"Fools." A man in a long maroon cloak growled. His face was hidden in the shadows of the hood but at least his voice sounded distinctly Italian. "Mister Wilson, would you be _so_ _kind_ as to grab the target while those idiots are distracting her keepers?"

"Sure, why not." Deadpool answered with a fair amount of nonchalance and set off at a run into the trees. He weaved his way through the gunfight taking place at the tree line without even slowing down. A single bullet ricocheted off his sword as he passed, but the softness of its silver composition prevented it from doing more damage than a solid punch.

The cloaked man frowned as he turned his attention back to the groups exchanging weapons fire. Occasionally a brightly colored spell would cover the intervening ground and light up the small battlefield. The mercenaries he'd hired had fallen into an obvious trap and they would soon be caught on both flanks. Normally this would leave a weakened center that his mercenaries could exploit but they had ignored his most dire warning.

An ear-piercing howl split the air and a teenage boy that had been hanging towards the back began his transformation. Simply having the command of his beast to transform at will at his age was most impressive, but Piotr Rasputin was truly the heir of his prestigious house, whether the ignorant wizards acknowledged it or not. His mutant gift surrounded his transformed hide with a layer of pure adamantium, a metal prized barely below Alchemist's Silver, which not only protected him from all physical harm but allowed him complete control of whether or not he turned his enemies.

His mutation alone, while useful, hardly won him the cloaked man's respect. Accidents of birth were nice but they did not earn you accolades from the discerning. No, it was the hooded long coat and trousers that set this young man apart as an exceptional wizard and a worthy foe. Despite their appearance of unassuming cloth the incredible design, grouping, weaving and construction of the charms rendered them greater treasures than the very armor of Achilles.

Lower powered spells were reflected back at their casters without pause. Higher powered spells still found most of their power refracted reducing bone breaking curses to weak knockback hexes and cutting curses to stinging jinxes. The cloth itself was spelled indestructible, though that could be overcome with enough energy or power and even repaired itself on the few occasions it managed to take damage. Combine all of this with the luck of nature, and truly one could only be worthy of the highest regard. As the idiots he'd sent in as a distraction were now discovering.

The boy tore through their reinforced center like it was butter. Bullets bounced off no matter where they managed to hit. Spellfire sloughed off Piotr's coat like a spring shower. The few times someone managed to cast a Crucio or the Killing Curse his lupine agility allowed him to dodge with ease. None could stand against the metal monster ripping them apart with its wickedly sharp claws.

It wasn't until the rest of the werewolf clan fell upon the flanks of his mercenaries that he felt the distinct tug that warned him that Deadpool had acquired the target and port keyed to the meeting zone. With a cruel smile he activated his own port key and left the mercenaries to their doom. The fools would probably have gone to work for that twit in England afterwards anyways.

As soon as the spinning of his chosen method of travel stopped he was in a posh sitting room. Deadpool was waiting next to a chair that held the unconscious form of a blond girl who was about ten years old. Her left arm was wrapped in bandages to hide the bite mark whose scars would never fade.

Nodding in appreciation the man gestured with a hand causing a nearby landscape painting to swing from the wall and reveal a safe. Another gesture and the safe opened.

"Your payment is within as well as a port key to Odesa, Mr. Wilson. I assume you can take care of things from there?" He told the gregarious, but incredibly skilled, mercenary.

"Sure." Deadpool replied and walked over to the safe. He cracked open the briefcase within and practically cackled with delight at the sight of the gold bars within. However before he left he turned back to the cloaked man. "You know, kidnapping the third member of the love triangle isn't going to end well for you…"

His hidden face twitched. "A hypocritical stance considering it was, in fact, _you_ that did the kidnapping."

"Psh. I'm a breakout character with rave success. The only way I die is if it's to get more readers when they bring me back." Deadpool replied. "Seriously bro, be the nemesis not the obstacle. That's all I'm saying."

"I'll keep that in mind." Was his dry reply.

Deadpool looked at the audience and shrugged, "I tried… It's just not the same without the yellow thought boxes. Oh, and just too really kill the tension for you, he's… Belasco!" He paused. "Strange that usually makes the name go all bold and show up in a fruity font…"

"Who are you talking to?" Belasco asked with a hidden frown.

Deadpool shrugged. "Nobody. You know where to call if you need me, Belly!" He grabbed the port key, a small teacup, and shouted, "I'm a little teapot!" He disappeared with a pop.

"_That_… Was _not_ the password." Belasco muttered to himself. Shaking off the confusion surrounding the strange mercenary he pulled down his hood revealing his red skin and small demonic horns. He turned to the girl still unconscious on the chair. "I finally have you, my dear… It will not be long before we are safely in limbo and then… _then_ you shall be my apprentice." 'And your power _shall be mine!_' He thought with a hungry grin.

* * *

"Something on your mind?" Scott asked as he, Kurt, Ethan and Kitty sat down to eat.

"I'm just, like, wondering when she and Jean became, like, so close…" Kitty said. She shook her head, "I know she was, like, there in London. I just mean don't they, like, seem kind of _too close_?"

Kurt looked thoughtful but shrugged, "I didn't notice. But honestly I haven't really seen them yet."

Rogue barely edged out the first wave of the New Mutants in acquiring her dinner and finding a seat. In her case she found somewhere out of the way that wouldn't draw in any of the others. Of course the room did feel rather crowded once the whole group was seated. They'd managed to recruit nine new members over the past six months, and one of them had a power that caused him to multiply. The copies apparently needed food too judging from the small group of identical boys.

It was only after everyone had gotten their meal underway that Sam and Jean came in. A hushed silence descended on the teenagers as they quietly observed the two girls getting their food and then wandering over to where the longer serving members of the institute were sitting.

"Sam, you've met Kitty, and Scott if only briefly. Well this is Kurt," Jean said pointing to the blue furred German boy and Sam quickly shook his hand. "And this is Ethan," She turned to the darker skinned boy and watched as Sam shook his hand as well. "Everyone this is Sam, she's going to be with us for at least a while… And she's my fiancée."

Scott did a spit take and there was a very real concern he'd lose his glasses. Kurt tried to speak but obviously couldn't quite make words form. Ethan was a little wide-eyed. Kitty paused for a very long second and then smiled exceptionally wide. "OH! Do you have a ring!? Rings? Like, can I see them! Can I be a bridesmaid?" She suddenly exploded.

A not so subtle round of murmurs from the New Mutants informed them that one of them had overheard and was sharing the news. Even if most of them didn't really know Jean, it was still obviously very juicy gossip. All of the activity was enough to attract Rogue who moved in close enough to be a part of the discussion. "And what's this all about?"

"Jean and Sam are getting married!" Kitty nearly shouted. Rogue instantly looked just as floored as the others. Scott seemed to have recovered and, from the look of his face, was about to say something they'd all regret in the morning.

In an uncommon display of social acumen, Sam cut him off at the knees by flashing her engagement ring to the two girls. "Our rings are matching except for the secondary color of the bands. I wear red to remind me of Jean and Jean wears black to remind her of me." She said too loudly for Scott to easily interrupt. "Oh, and from what I understand you girls and you, Kurt, are the only members of the group with a power that you might use to directly affect your allies. Is this correct?"

The three in question looked at each other in surprise, "Ah suppose…" Rogue said finally.

Sam steepled her fingers and leaned in slightly. "Then, for the time being, do _not_ under _any circumstances_ use those gifts on Jean."

Kurt was taken aback, "Why?"

Jean gave Sam a look that clearly said, 'You are _not_…' And got in reply a look that clearly said, 'Oh, _yes_ I _am_.'

The mischief was still in Sam's eyes as she turned back to her captive audience. "It's just that we don't know if they'll be harmful for the babies."

"WHAT!" The word resounded in stereo but Sam simply went back to eating with a Cheshire smirk. A few moments later she apparently had another thought as she turned to address the New Mutants as well.

"Oh and if I catch any of you trying to play rough with Jean… I'll connect all your minds together, let Jean mash them like potatoes and leave you a walking hive mind with no sense of individuality!" Sam warned with a baleful glare.

* * *

_Ten identical blond little girls stood in front of a large mahogany desk. Behind them are an array of young adults in black and green uniforms with red X's on their left shoulder and belt. The adults are all glaring at an equally adult Samantha Potter who is looking sheepish despite her sharp business suit._

"_What!? I didn't do it!" Sam huffed. "I swear you threaten to make a psychic hive mind just once…"_

Susan Bones blinked in surprise as something woke her from her nap. 'That was a very odd dream…' She thought and got up with a light stretch. She looked at her present companions and smiled, "I'm going to go say hi to Auntie."

Nadia, Hermione and Lavender acknowledged her words but went back to their reading. Hannah and Parvati got up to join her though. "So who's next on the list?" Hannah asked.

"Lily Moon," Parvati answered as they walked towards the master study. "She was born at the same moment that your mum died. A little research shows that the Moons are a squib branch of the Gaunt family, well squib until her da that was. So in his Slytherin mania it could be said he marked her, another potential heir, as his equal."

Susan hummed in agreement but mostly focused on making it to her aunt's study. The door to the study was styled to look like the wall around it but that hardly phased Susan as she swung it open. "Auntie I was…"

Four death eaters and a very surprised Pius Thickness turned to face the suddenly opened door. Two of them were actively holding her Aunt Amelia down on her desk with her neck exposed. It didn't take much to guess what was supposed to have happened next. From the woman's unheard screams there were apparently either silencing charms on the room or on her aunt.

Despite her time in the DA and some training from various aurors that worked for her aunt, Susan didn't even think of drawing her wand. Instead she lunged, open handed at the nearest death eater. The man turned his wand on her but fatally hesitated. His eyes widened in fear.

She barely noticed that she wasn't using magic when she ripped his head off with an angry thought and a gesture of her arm. It wasn't until much later that she found out he'd hesitated because of her glowing pink eyes…


End file.
